Family/Spouse: Connaught, Princess O'ruarc. O'ruarc was born in 920 in Connacht, Ireland; died in 960 in Leinster, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LV63-B9Z

Notes:

Gormflaith ingen Murchada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gormflaith ingen Murchada (960-1030), was an Irish queen. She was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, as the daughter of Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster, sister
of his successor, Mael Mórdha mac Murchada. According to the annalistic accounts, she was married to Olaf
Cuaran, the Viking king of Dublin and York until his death in 981;[1] and mother to his son, King Sigtrygg
Silkbeard.[2] Additionally, and perhaps most famously, after her son, Sigtrygg's defeat at the Battle of Glen
Mama in 999, Gormlaith was married to Brian Boru, the King of Munster and High King of Ireland, and
mother to his son and later King of Munster, Donnchad. It is also alleged that she married, Máel Sechnaill mac
Domnaill after Olaf's death, but this is somewhat contentious as the sources for this marriage are less reliable.
The Irish annals record Gormlaith's death in 1030. Gormlaith is most infamous for allegedly inciting men to
such a degree that she caused the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Given that her goading episode exists only in
literary sources not contemporary with her lifetime, and, indeed, written long after her death, it is highly
unlikely that such an event ever occurred.[3] Since the majority of depictions of Gormlaith were composed well
after her life, very little is known about the actual historical figure.
Annalistic and Genealogical Accounts
The first annalistic account regarding Gormlaith appears in the Annals of Inisfallen. This is a major extant
record of Munster history, and as such maintains a preference for Munster kingship and ancestry. The entry of
her death was composed some 62 years after her death, making it the most contemporary and temporally
proximate.[4] This account stated,
The Daughter of Murchad son of Finn, queen of Munster, dies.[5]
— Annals of Inisfallen, p. 197
Gormlaith's father was Murchad, son of Finn and this statement paired with Queen of Munster, leaves little
doubt amongst scholars that this reference is to Gormlaith. The Annals of Tigernach are the next
chronologically contemporaneous account with a reference to Gormlaith. These annals, compiled in the Irish
midlands, stated,
Gormlaith, daughter of Murchad, son of Finn, mother of Sitric, son of Amlaíb Cuarán, king of the
Foreigners, and of Donnachad, son of Brian, king of Munster, died.
— Annals of Tigernach, p. 371
Gormlaith also appears in genealogical accounts written more than 100 years after her death. The first of these
accounts is found in the Banshenchas, which is essentially a catalogue of famous medieval Irish women.[6] The
entry in this account echoed the annalistic accounts and names Olaf Cuaran and Brian Boru as her husbands
and Sigtrygg and Donnchad as her sons. Gormlaith also appears in the twelfth century genealogies found in the
Book of Leinster dating from 1150-1201. From this entry derives the famous "three leaps" of Gormlaith poem,
which states she made a "leap in Dublin, a leap in Tara and a leap in Cashel".[7] Some scholars have used these
"three leaps" as evidence of her three marriages to Olaf Cuaran, Brian Boru and Máel Sechnaill, contradicting
the annalistic accounts which refer to only two marriages. In particular, the validity of this third marriage to
Máel Sechnaill and her alleged divorce from Brian Boru, have been of serious contention amongst scholars.
The "three leaps" poem contained in 12th century genealogies is the only medieval Irish account to potentially
suggest a third marriage. However, some scholars have argued that the reference here to "three leaps" is
referring instead to children and not, in fact, to marriages.[8]
Mediaeval Literary Accounts
Gormlaith has been depicted in many contexts since her death, and she is arguably best known for her portrayal
in the Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh[9] This literary work of propaganda was composed between 1103 and 1111
by a descendent of Brian Boru, Muirchertach Ua Briain. This text detailed the ascent to power of his illustrious
ancestor in an effort to highlight the prestige of his dynasty.[10] Gormlaith makes her appearance in a singular
scene in which she has garnered much notoriety in subsequent sources, is her inciting scene. To provide
context: prior to this her brother, Mael Mordha, has ceded vassalage to Brian Boru.
"Now when they arrived at Cenn Cordah, the king took off his tunic, and it was carried to his sister
to put a silver button on it, viz. to Gormlaith, daughter of Murchad, Brian's wife; and she was the
mother of Donnchad, son of Brian. The queen took the tunic and cast it into the fire; and she began
to reproach and incite her brother because she thought it ill that he should yield service and
vassalage and suffer oppression from any one or yield that which his father or grandfather never
yielded and she said that his Brian's son would require the same thing from his son."
— Todd, Cogadh Gaedhel Re Gallaibh, p. 143.
In this depiction, Gormlaith, unsuccessfully, attempted to goad her brother into going to war against her
husband Brian Boru.
Njál's Saga, a thirteenth century Icelandic literary work,[11] referred to her as Kormloð, and portrayed her as a
jealous divorcee bent on revenge on her ex-husband Brian Boru.
“She was a very beautiful woman, but her best qualities were those over which she had no control,
and it was commonly said that her character was evil insofar as she had control over it.”
— Cook, Njal's Saga p. 296
In this narrative, she goads her son Sigtrygg, unlike the Cogadh, where she attempted to incite her brother,
Mael Mordha. She prompted Sigtrygg into gathering support from Vikings outside Ireland, most notably Earl
Sigurd of Orkney and Brodir of the Isle of Man, by promising her hand in marriage. This is the first work to
introduce the idea that Gormlaith was divorced from Brian Boru.
Early Modern Narrative Texts
A separate strain of wholly negative conceptions of Gormlaith appeared in Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa Ar
Eirinn composed in 1634. In this text Keating makes explicit the link between Gormlaith’s goading and Máel
Mórda’s declaration of war. Gormlaith’s remarks in this Early Modern account weighed on Máel Mórda,
contributing to his quarrel with Murchad and eventually lead the “Leinster king to seek allies in the war against
the Dál Cais”.[12] As to why Keating decided to place the cause of hostilities with Gormlaith is up for some
debate. One scholar, Meidhbhín Ní Úrdail suggested that he was influenced by Meredith Hamner's Chronicle of
Ireland published in 1633, where the cause of Clontarf is attributed not to Gormlaith, but an anonymous
"merchant's wife".[13] Keating's work would in turn influence a slightly later text of the same period, Cath
Cluana Tarbh. Only one version of this work contains a reference to Gormlaith, but the depiction is derived
from Keating.[14]
See also
Mongfind
References
1. Ni Mhaonaigh, Maire (2002). "Tales of Three Gormlaith's in Medieval Irish Literature"E. riu. 52: 18.
2. Forte, Angelo; Oram, Richard; Pedersen, Frederik (2005)V. iking empires (1st ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0521829925.
3. Wade, Christina (2012). Contextualizing Gormlaith: Portrayals and Pecreptions of a Medieval Irish Queen. Dublin:
Unpublished MPhil Dissertation.
4. Mac Airt, Sean (1951). The Annals of Inisfallen. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. p. xxi.
5. Mac Airt, Sean (1951). Annals of Inisfallen. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. p. 197.
6. Connon, Anne (2000). Alfred P. Smyth, ed. "The Banshenchas and the Ui Neill queens of aTra". Seanchas: Studies in
Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History, and Literature in honour of Francis J. Byrne: 98.
7. Sullivan (ed), Anne (1988). Book of Leinster Vol. 6. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. pp. 1492–1493.
8. Ni Dhonnchadha, Maire (2002). Angela Bourke, ed. "Gormlaith and Her Sisters c. 750-1400F".i eld Day Anthology of
Irish Writing. 4: Irish Women's Writing and Traditions: 188.
9. James Henthorn Todd, ed. (1867). Cogadh Gaedhel Re Gallaibh. London: Longmans, Green, Reade,r and Dyer.
10. Ni Mhaonaigh, Maire (2007). Brian Boru: Ireland's Greatest King?. Stroud: Tempus. pp. 45–46.
11. Cook, Robert (2001). Njal's Saga. London: Penguin.
12. Keating, ed. David Comyn, Geofrey; et al. (1902). Forsa Feasa ar Eirinn le Seathrun Ceitinn. London: Irish Texts
Society. p. 268.
13. Ni Urdail, Meidhbhin (2011). "Introduction". Cath Cluana Tarbh: 'The Battle of Clontarf.' London: Irish Texts Society.
p. 14.
14. Ni Urdail. "Introduction" of Cath Cluana Tarbh. p. 1.
Further reading
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis
Weis; Lines 175-1, 239-2
External links
The Story of Gormlaith: Jealous Divorcee or Literary Victim?
A History of Vikings in Scotland
Events leading up to the Battle of Clontarf
Njal's Saga
Gormflaith's marriages and families online
Gormflaith was a Naas woman
Who was Gormlaith's mother? A detective story, by Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin. In: Lost and Found II –
Rediscovering Ireland’s past. (Ireland, 2009), pp. 83–94.
‘Tales of three Gormlaiths in early Irish literature by Máire Ní Mhaonaigh. In Ériu 52 (2002), pp. 1–24.
'Viking Age Queens and Identity by Shannon Lewis-Simpson. In The Viking Age: Ireland and the West,
Proceedings of the Fifteenth Viking Congress (Cork, 2005), John Sheehan & Donnchadh Ó Corráin
(eds), pp. 217–226.
Gormflaith, the Queen by L. M. McCraith. In: Romance of Irish Heroines (Dublin) pp. 42–50.
‘Gormflaith and the Northmen of Dublin by G. C. Stacpoole. In: Dublin Historical Record, Vol. XX, No.
1, December (1964) pp. 4–18.
‘Gormlaith ingen Murchada ben Briain by Catherine Swift. From: Brian Boru Lecture Series, Mary
Immaculate College.
Contextualizing Gormlaith: Portrayals and Perceptions of a Medieval Irish Queen by Christina Wade.
Unpublished M.Phil Dissertation, 2012.
Queen Gormlaith, Brian Boru and the Northmen of Dublin by Howard B Clarke, Dublin City Lunchtime
Lecture Series, 8 April 2014.
"Gormflaith - A Naas Woman?" by James Durney, Co. Kildare Online Electronic Journal, 16 February
2008.
"A Game of Thrones: Leinster v Munster at the Battle of Clontarf" by James Durney, Co. Kildare Online
Electronic Journal, 27 March 2014,

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gormflaith_ingen_Murchada&oldid=775132434"
Categories: Irish royal consorts 960 births 1030 deaths 10th-century Irish people
11th-century Irish people 11th-century women Irish princesses Women of medieval Ireland
Viking Age women People from County Kildare
This page was last edited on 12 April 2017, at 21:30.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Family/Spouse: Sigtryggsson, King of Dublin & York Olafr. Olafr was born in 927 in York, Yorkshire, England; died in 981 in Iona, Argyll, Scotland; was buried in 981 in Iona, Argyll, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Sitric, Amlaíb mac. Amlaíb was born in 993 in Ireland; died in 1034 in England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: Silkbeard
• FSID: LR3R-FGB

Notes:

Sigtrygg Silkbeard
King of Dublin
Reign 989/995–1036
Predecessor Glúniairn / Ivar of Waterford
Successor Echmarcach mac Ragnaill
Born c. 970
Dublin, Ireland
Died 1042 (aged ≈ 72)
Dublin
Spouse Sláine
House Uí Ímhair
Father Olaf Cuarán
Mother Gormflaith ingen Murchada
Sigtrygg Silkbeard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (also Sihtric, Sitric[1] and
Sitrick in Irish texts; or Sigtryg[2] and Sigtryggr[3] in
Scandinavian texts) was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin
(possibly AD 989–994; restored or began 995–1000; restored
1000 and abdicated 1036) of the Uí Ímair dynasty. He was
caught up in the abortive Leinster revolt of 999–1000, after
which he was forced to submit to the King of Munster, Brian
Boru. His family also conducted a double marriage alliance
with Boru, although he later realigned himself with the main
leaders of the Leinster revolt of 1012–1014. He has a
prominent role in the 12th-century Irish Cogadh Gaedhil re
Gallaibh and the 13th century Icelandic Njal's Saga, as the
main Norse leader at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
Sigtrygg's long reign spanned 46 years, until his abdication
in 1036.[4] During that period, his armies saw action in four
of the five Irish provinces of the time. In particular, he
conducted a long series of raids into territories such as
Meath, Wicklow, Ulster, and perhaps even the coast of
Wales. He also came into conflict with rival Norse kings, especially in Cork and Waterford.
He went on pilgrimage to Rome in 1028 and is associated with the foundation of Christ Church Cathedral in
Dublin. Although Dublin underwent several reversals of fortune during his reign, on the whole trade in the city
flourished. He died in 1042.[4]
Contents
1 Life
1.1 Family
1.2 King of Dublin
1.2.1 First Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
1.2.2 Years between the revolts
1.2.3 Second Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
1.2.4 Reign after Clontarf
2 Issue and legacy
3 See also
4 Footnotes
5 References
6 External links
Life
Family
A posthumous "Sihtric" coin from the
British Museum, minted at Dublin c.
1050
Sigtrygg was of Norse and Irish ancestry.[2] He was a son of Olaf Cuarán (also called Kváran), King of York
and of Dublin, and Gormflaith ingen Murchada.[3] Gormflaith was the daughter of the King of Leinster,
Murchad mac Finn,[5] and the sister of his successor, King Máel Mórda of Leinster.[3] She had previously been
married to the King of Meath and High King of Ireland, Máel Sechnaill[3] — the first of her three husbands.
She was a beautiful, powerful and intriguing Irish woman,[3] who according to the 13th-century Icelandic Njál's
saga, was "the fairest of all women, and best gifted in everything that was not in her own power, but it was the
talk of men that she did all things ill over which she had any power".[3][6] Sigtrygg's paternal half-brother was
Glúniairn, "Iron-knee", who ruled as King of Dublin from 980–989.
An incident involving the ransom of one of Sigtrygg's sons late in his reign, in which "seven score British
horse" were mentioned in the list of demands,[7] suggests that Dublin was one of the main ports for importing
horses into 11th century Ireland, and that Sigtrygg and his family may have been personally involved in animal
husbandry.[8]
King of Dublin
Sigtrygg may have succeeded his paternal half-brother Glúniairn as king
of Dublin in 989,[4] but it is just as likely his rival Ivar of Waterford
came to power in the city then.[9] The Irish annals record little
information about Sigtrygg, his family or Dublin during these first five
years of his reign.[10] Benjamin Hudson claims this was because of the
arrival of the future King of Norway, Olaf Tryggvason, who took up
residence in Dublin for a few years after marrying Sigtrygg's sister
Gytha.[10] Tryggvason had met Gytha while raiding along the coasts of
the Irish Sea.[10] The presence of a powerful Viking leader in Dublin
was a deterrent to Irish raids, and Trygvason may have weakened
Sigtrygg's foes by plundering them.[11]
Hudson argues that Tryggvason's return to Norway in 994 coincided
with the temporary expulsion of Sigtrygg from Dublin by his rival Ivar
of Waterford,.[12] Ivar may have already ruled there from 989 until
forced out by Sigtrygg in 993. Much depends on the interpretation.
Either way, Sigtrygg was back within a year. In 995, he and his nephew, Muirchertach Ua Congalaich, attacked
the church at Donaghpatrick in County Meath.[12] In retaliation, Máel Sechnaill entered Dublin and took the
ring of Thor and the sword of Carlus.[12] Sigtrygg then attacked Kells and Clonard in 997.[12] In 998, Máel
Sechnaill and the King of Munster, Brian Boru, forced Sigtrygg to recognise their lordship by giving
hostages.[12]
Sigtrygg realised that Dublin's wealth made him a target, and that his city needed powerful allies and walls.[12]
The Dublin countryside did not provide sufficient resources for competition against powerful Irish princes.[12]
Sigtrygg first allied with his maternal uncle, Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of the Uí Fáeláin of north
Leinster.[12] In 999, they defeated their cousin the King of Leinster Donnchad mac Domhnaill, and imprisoned
him in Dublin.[12]
First Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
Late in 999, the Leinstermen, historically hostile to domination by either the Uí Néill overkings or the king of
Munster, allied themselves with the Norse of Dublin and revolted against Brian Boru.[1] This provided the
opportunity for Sigtrygg's second alliance with Máel Mórda mac Murchada.[12] Brian's forces inflicted a
crushing defeat on the united Leinster-Dublin army at the Battle of Glenmama, and followed the victory with
Inch Abbey (Inis Cumhscraigh),
plundered by Sigtrygg in 1002
an attack on the city of Dublin.[1] The 12th-century Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh gives two accounts of the
occupation: Brian remained in Dublin from Christmas Day until Epiphany (6 January), or from Christmas Day
until St. Brigid's Day (1 February).[12] The later Annals of Ulster date the Battle of Glenmama to 30 December
999,[13] while the Annals of Inisfallen date Brian's capture of the city to 1 January 1000.[14] In any case, in
1000 Brian plundered the city, burned the Norse fortress and expelled Sigtrygg.[1]
According to the Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh, Sigtrygg's flight from the city took him north, first to the Ulaid
and then to Aéd of Cenél nEógain.[15] Both tribes refused to help him.[15] As Sigtrygg could find no refuge in
Ireland, he eventually returned, submitted to Brian, gave hostages and was restored to Dublin three months
after Brian ended his occupation in February.[1][12] In the meantime, Sigtrygg may have temporarily "turned
pirate" and been responsible for a raid on St David's in Wales.[15]
Brian's daughter by his first wife was married to Sigtrygg,[3] and Brian in turn took Sigtrygg's mother, the now
thrice-married Gormflaith, as his second wife.[3]
Years between the revolts
Dublin enjoyed a sustained period of peace while Sigtrygg's men served
in the armies of Brian.[16] Sigtrygg never forgot the Ulaid's refusal of
aid when he fled from Dublin, and in 1002 he had his revenge when his
soldiers served in Brian's campaign against the Ulaid and ravaged their
lands.[12][16] His fleet raided Ulster, and he plundered Kilclief and Inis
Cumhscraigh, taking many prisoners from both.[17] They served under
Brian against the Ulaid again in 1005, and against the Northern Uí Néill
in 1006 and 1007.[16] Cenél Conaill, the last of the Northern Uí Néill
Kingdoms, submitted in 1011, and Brian was formally recognised as
High King throughout Ireland.[16]
A remembrance of Sigtrygg's reign during these years is preserved in
the late medieval Icelandic Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent's Tongue.[18] Only fragments survive of the verses in the
Sigtryggsdrápa, a drápa composed by the skald Gunnlaug Illugason while visiting Sigtrygg's court.[18] The
verses praise Sigtrygg for his royal ancestry, and describe Dublin as a busy, thriving port.[18] Archaeological
excavations of ships, gold, clothing, and pieces for games from around this time seem to confirm the
description.[18] According to the prose, Sigtrygg considered rewarding the poet with ships and gold, but instead
granted him a new suit of clothes.[18]
Second Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
Some time during the 1010s, Brian Boru divorced Queen Gormflaith, and she began to engineer opposition to
the High King.[19] Around 1012, relations between Brian and Leinster had become so strained that revolt broke
out among the Leinstermen.[20] Sigtrygg aligned himself with the forces of Máel Mórda, leader of the revolt,
and the chiefs Ua Ruairc, Ua Néill, and others.[21] Together, they defeated Brian's ally Máel Sechnaill near the
town of Swords, and Brian for the moment was unable to render assistance.[21]
Sigtrygg sent his son Oleif to lead a fleet south to Munster to burn the Viking settlement of Cork.[16] The fleet
also attacked Cape Clear, crippling Brian's naval power, which was concentrated in Cork.[16]
The Viking settlements of Cork,
Limerick, Waterford and Wexford
(Part of the Kingdom of Munster,
under the control of Boru)
The Kingdom of Dublin, under
the control of Sigtrygg
According to Njál's saga, Gormflaith "egged on her son Sigtrygg very
much to kill King Brian",[6] sending him to win the support of Earl
Sigurd of Orkney, and Bróðir and Óspak of Man at any price.[21]
Sigtrygg arrived in Orkney for Sigurd's Yule feast, where he sat in a
high seat between the two brothers-in-law, Earl Sigurd of Orkney and
Earl Gilli of the Southern Isles.[6] The saga also records that Sigtrygg
was very interested in the Burning of Njáll Þorgeirsson at Bergþórshvoll
and what had happened since.[6] Afterwards, Sigtrygg bade Sigurd to go
to war with him against Brian.[22] Despite Sigurd's initial hesitance and
against the advice of his men, he eventually agreed to arrive in Dublin
by Palm Sunday with all his men, on the condition that if Brian was
slain, Sigurd would marry Gormflaith and become King of
Ireland.[22][23]
Sigtrygg went next to Man, where he also persuaded Bróðir to be in
Dublin by Palm Sunday,[20][24] and he promised Bróðir too that, if
successful, he would be allowed marry Gormflaith and become King of
Ireland; the terms of this agreement were kept secret.[25] Óspak was
dissatisfied with the arrangement,[23] and refused to "fight against so good a king".[22]
The two forces met at the Battle of Clontarf, on Good Friday in 1014, a battle that claimed the lives of the main
commanders on both sides: Brian and his son Murchad on the Munster side; and Máel Mórda, Sigurd and
Bróðir on the Leinster-Norse side.[26] According to Irish sources, Sigtrygg did not take part in the battle, but
held his garrison in reserve in Dublin.[27] The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh records that Sigtrygg was able to
observe the progress of the battle and the movement of the battle standards from the ramparts of his fortress.[28]
As the modern Irish medievalist historian Donnchadh Ó Corráin notes, Sigtrygg "wisely kept within the city
and lived to tell the tale".[26]
Earlier Scandinavian sources (the Orkneyinga saga, Njál's saga and the Darraðarljóð, composed soon after the
battle) contend that he did actually fight valiantly at Clontarf.[28] The Darraðarljóð, showing the persistence of
paganism among the Vikings of Dublin, describes the Valkyries as following the "young king" Sigtrygg into
battle.[29] Njal's Saga records that Sigtrygg was on the wing opposite Óspak of Man for the whole battle, and
that Óspak eventually put the king to flight.[30]
Reign after Clontarf
Immediately after Clontarf, Sigtrygg's fortunes appear to have declined, even though he emerged with his
kingdom intact.[31] Máel Sechnaill, now again recognised as high king, was undoubtedly the battle's main
beneficiary.[31] In 1015, plague struck Dublin and Leinster, and Máel Sechnaill seized the opportunity to march
south to burn Dublin's suburbs.[31] While Sigtrygg was able to ally with Leinster for another attack on Meath in
1017, the alliance was dissolved when Sigtrygg blinded his cousin Bróen, Máel Morda's son and heir, in
Dublin.[31]
In 1018, Sigtrygg plundered Kells; he "carried off innumerable spoils and prisoners, and slew many persons in
the middle of the church".[32] These captives would either have been ransomed or sold off into Dublin's
lucrative slave trade.[33] When Sigtrygg raided south in 1021, he was defeated at Delgany in County
Wicklow[33] where the new King of Leinster, Augaire mac Dúnlainge, "made a dreadful slaughter of the
foreigners" in the Kingdom of Breifne.[34] In 1022, the Dublin fleet sailed north against the Ulaid, only to be
destroyed in a naval battle against Niall mac Eochaid, after which the Norse crews and ships were taken
prisoner.[33]
The medieval tower of the stone
church of Ardbraccan, County Meath,
in which Sigtrygg burned over 200
men
According to the American medievalist historian Benjamin Hudson, "matters went from bad to worse" for
Sigtrygg after the death of Máel Sechnaill in 1022.[35] The great Irish princes began to compete for the High
Kingship, and the political situation in Ireland became chaotic as there was no clear choice for supremacy.[35]
Accordingly, "Dublin became a prize for those who would rule Ireland and wanted the town's wealth to finance
their ambitions."[35]
Hostages were taken from Sigtrygg by Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of
Cenél nEógain and the Uí Néill, and Donnchad mac Briain of Munster
in 1025 and 1026 respectively, in support of their bids for the high
kingship.[35] These hostages brought no security, and Dublin was raided
in 1026 by Niall mac Eocada of the Ulaid in revenge for the naval
attack of 1022.[36] Sigtrygg formed a new alliance with the men of
Brega.[37] In 1027, Sigtrygg's son Olaf joined Donnchad of Brega in a
raid on Staholmock, County Meath.[37] Sigtrygg and Donnchad's army
was defeated by the men of Meath under their king, Roen Ua Mael
Sechlainn.[37][38] Sigtrygg rallied to the fight again at Lickblaw where
Donnchad and Roen were slain.[37][38]
In 1029, Sigtrygg's son Olaf was taken prisoner by the new lord of
Brega, Mathghamhain Ua Riagain.[7] Sigtrygg was forced to pay a
ransom of 1,200 cows, 140 British horses, 60 ounces of gold and of
silver, "the sword of Carlus", the Irish hostages of Leinster and Leath
Cuinn, "four hostages to Ua Riagain as a security for peace, and the full
value of the life of the third hostage."[7] An additional 80 cows "for
word and supplication"[7] were to be paid to the man who entreated for
Olaf's release.[8] The incident illustrates the importance of ransoming
noble captives, as a means of political manipulation, increasing one's own revenues and exhausting the
resources of one's foes.[8]
Sigtrygg's fortunes improved in the 1030s. In 1030, he allied with the King of England, Cnut, and together their
fleets raided Wales.[39] A Dublin colony was established in Gwynedd, and for the following years Sigtrygg was
at the height of his power.[39] In 1032, without allies, Sigtrygg won a victory on the Boyne estuary of a type
previously unseen by his dynasty for two decades, against a coalition of three kingdoms:[37] over 300 members
of the Conailli, the Ui Tortain, and the Ui Meith were captured or killed at the Battle of Inbher Boinne.[40] In
1035, he plundered the celebrated stone church Ardbraccan in Meath, burned 200 men inside, and carried
another 200 off into captivity.[37] (In revenge, the church at Swords was plundered and burned by Conchobhar
Ua Maeleachlainn,[41] who took away cattle and captives.[37])
Meanwhile, in a renewal of ancient feuds that same year, Sigtrygg executed Ragnall King of Waterford, in
Dublin[41] Ragnall was the grandson of the Ivar, Sigtrygg's earliest rival, who had contested for Dublin decades
before.[37] Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, King of the Isles forced Sigtrygg to abdicate in 1036.[39] Sigtrygg died in
exile, at an unknown place, in 1042.[39]
Issue and legacy
Sigtrygg married Brian Boru's daughter, Sláine, and they had one son: Olaf (d. 1034).[4] According to the
Annals of the Four Masters, Olaf "was slain by the Saxons" on his way on a pilgrimage to Rome.[41] He was
survived by one Ragnhild, from whom Gruffudd ap Cynan and the Kings of Gwynedd were descended.[4]
Christ Church Cathedral, founded by
Sigtrygg c.1028
Separately from Sláine, Sigtrygg had five children: Artalach (d. 999),
Oleif (d. 1013), Godfrey (d. 1036), Glúniairn (d. 1031) and Cellach (d.
1042).[4][39] The annals record the death of Oleif—"son of the lord of
the foreigners"—who was killed in revenge for the burning of Cork.[42]
Glúniairn was killed by the people of South Brega in 1031.[43] Godfrey
was killed in Wales in 1036 by one Sitric, "son of Glúniairn"—as
factionalism was common among Viking settlers, this could have been
the same Glúniairn as Sigtrygg's half-brother, thus making Godfrey and
his killer cousins.[44] Sigtrygg's daughter Cellach died in the same
month as her father.[45]
Sigtrygg was also, according to the Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, "a patron of the arts, a benefactor of the church, and an
economic innovator".[39] In the 990s, he established Ireland's first mint, in Dublin.[39] He established a
bishopric at Dublin and in 1028 he made a pilgrimage to Rome.[39][46] It is thus possible to attribute the origins
of the establishment of territorial bishoprics in Ireland on the Roman model, one of the most important results
of 11th-century Irish Church Reform, to Sigtrygg.[47] He went on to found Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin,
which today is the oldest building in Dublin, but relatively young in comparison to the many monastic
cathedrals in the rest of Ireland. Like many of the other coastal cathedrals in Ireland, it is of Hiberno-Norse
origin. The cathedral, initially a wooden building, was rebuilt in stone in the 1180s following the arrival of the
Anglo-Normans to Ireland, led by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.[2]
See also
Early Medieval Ireland 800–1166
History of Dublin
Church of Ireland
Footnotes
1. Ó Corráin, p 123
2. Winn, p 46
3. Mac Manus, p 278
4. Hudson, p 83
5. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 821. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
6. "Chapter 153 - Kari goes abroad" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#153). Njal's Saga. www.sagadb.org.
Retrieved 2009-03-03.
7. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 819. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
8. Hudson, p 111
9. Etchingham, p. 181
10. Hudson, p 84
11. Hudson, p 85
12. Hudson, p 86
13. "Entry for AD 999 of the Annals of Ulster "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100001A/text568.html.) Annals of
Ulster. University College Cork. p. 745. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
14. Hudson, p 86-87
15. Hudson, p 87
16. Hudson, p 95
17. "Part 10 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text010.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 745. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
18. Hudson, p 94
19. MacManus, p 278-279
References
Etchingham, Colmán, "North Wales, Ireland and the Isles: the Insular Viking zone", in Peritia 15 (2001
[2002]): 145–187.
Hudson, Benjamin T (2005). Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in the
North Atlantic (Illustrated ed.). United States: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195162374, ISBN 978-0-
19-516237-0.
MacManus, Seumas (1921). The Story of the Irish Race: A Popular History of Ireland. Ireland: The Irish
Publishing Co. ISBN 0-517-06408-1.
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (1972). Ireland Before the Normans. Ireland: Gill and Macmillan.
Richter, Michael (2005). Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition (Revised, illustrated ed.). Gill &
Macmillan. ISBN 0717132935, ISBN 978-0-7171-3293-5.
Winn, Christopher (2007). I Never Knew that About Ireland. Illustrated by Osawa, Mai (Illustrated ed.).
Macmillan. ISBN 0312368801, ISBN 978-0-312-36880-7.
External links
20. Ó Corráin, p 129
21. MacManus, p 279
22. "Chapter 154 - Gunnar Lambi's son's slaying" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#154). Njal's Saga.
www.sagadb.org. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
23. MacManus, p280
24. "Chapter 155 - Of signs and wonders" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#155). Njal's Saga.
www.sagadb.org. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
25. MacManus, p 279-280
26. Ó Corráin, p 130
27. MacManus, p 281
28. Hudson, p 101
29. Hudson, p 103
30. "Chapter 156 - Brian's battle" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#156). Njal's Saga. www.sagadb.org.
Retrieved 2009-03-03.
31. Hudson, p 104
32. "Part 12 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text010.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 793. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
33. Hudson, p 108
34. "Part 12 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text012.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 799. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
35. Hudson, p 109
36. Hudson, p 109-110
37. Hudson, p 110
38. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 815. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
39. Hudson, Benjamin T. "Sihtric (Sigtryggr Óláfsson, Sigtryggr Silkiskegg) (d. 1042)"O. xford Dictionary of National
Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.d oi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25545 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodn
b%2F25545). (Subscription or UK public library membership (https://global.oup.com/oxforddnb/info/freeodnb/libraries/)
required.)
40. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 825. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
41. "Part 14 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text014.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 831. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
42. "Part 11 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text01.html). Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 769. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
43. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 823. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
44. Hudson, p 82
45. "Part 14 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text014.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 843. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
46. Richter, p 124-125
47. Richter, p 125
Njal's Saga
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Glúniairn
(Ivar of Waterford)
King of Dublin
Succeeded by
Echmarcach mac
Ragnaill
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sigtrygg_Silkbeard&oldid=754727687"
Categories: 1042 deaths Monarchs of Dublin Norse-Gaels People from County Dublin
11th-century monarchs in Europe 10th-century monarchs in Europe Uí Ímair
10th-century Irish monarchs 11th-century Irish people
This page was last edited on 14 December 2016, at 04:59.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Amlaíb mac Sitriuc
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amlaíb mac Sitriuc ("Amhlaeibh, son of Sitric") or Olaf Sigtryggsson was the son of Sigtrygg Silkbeard, the
Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin, and Sláine, the daughter of Brian Boru. A member of the Uí Ímair dynasty, his
ancestors also included Amlaíb Cuarán and Gormflaith, who were influential in medieval Ireland. He was
ransomed by the Gaelic lord of Brega and later killed in England by Anglo-Saxons while on his way on
pilgrimage to Rome in 1034. Some of his descendants later became the Kings of Gwynedd in Wales.
Contents
1 Life
1.1 Family
1.2 Politics
2 Footnotes
3 References
Life
Family
Amlaíb was the son of the ruling King of Dublin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard (d. 1042), and his wife Sláine, daughter of
the King of Munster and High King of Ireland, Brian Boru (d. 1014), and his first wife.[1][1][2][3] His paternal
grandfather was Amlaíb Cuarán (d. 981), the powerful King of York and of Dublin.[1] Amlaíb Cuarán's wife
was Gormflaith (d. 1030), a "beautiful, powerful and intriguing Irish woman" who later married Boru at the
same time Sigtrygg married Sláine.[3]
Amlaíb had four half-brothers: Artalach (d. 999),[4] Oleif (d. 1013), Godfrey (d. 1036), Glúniairn (d. 1031).[1]
Oleif was killed in immediate vengeance for the burning of the Norse city of Cork.[5] Glúniairn was killed by
the people of South Brega in 1031.[6] Godfrey was killed in Wales, possibly by a first cousin.[7] Amlaíb was
outlived by his half-sister Cellach, who died in 1042 in the same month as her father.[8]
Politics
In 1027, after the death of Máel Sechlainn in 1022 and the chaos which accompanied the subsequent bids for
the High Kingship by the Irish princes, Sigtrygg Silkbeard was forced to make a new alliance with the men of
Brega.[9] Amlaíb joined Donnchad of Brega in a raid on Staholmock, County Meath.[10] The army of Sigtrygg
and Donnchad was defeated by the men of Meath under their king, Roen Ua Mael Sechlainn.[10][11] Sigtrygg
rallied to the fight again, and fought a battle at Lickblaw where Donnchad and Roen were slain.[10][11]
In 1029, Amlaíb was taken prisoner by the new lord of Brega, Mathghamhain Ua Riagain, who exacted a
ransom of 1200 cows.[2] Further conditions of the agreement necessitated payment of another 140 British
horses, 60 ounces of gold and of silver, "the sword of Carlus", the Irish hostages of Leinster and Leath Cuinn,
"four hostages to Ua Riagain as a security for peace, and the full value of the life of the third hostage."[2]
Added to the total, 80 cows "for word and supplication"[2] were to be paid to the man who entreated for
Amlaíb's release.[12] The incident illustrates the importance of ransoming noble captives, as a means of
political manipulation, increasing one's own revenues and exhausting the resources of one's foes.[12] The
demand of British horses also suggests that Dublin was one of the main ports for importing horses into 11th
century Ireland, and that Amlaíb's family may have been personally involved in husbandry.[12]
According to the 17th century Annals of the Four Masters, Amlaíb mac Sitriuc "was slain by the Saxons" on
his way on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1034.[13] He was survived by one Ragnhild, who was the mother of
Gruffudd ap Cynan, from whom the Kings of Gwynedd were descended.[1]
Footnotes
References
Hudson, Benjamin T (2005). Viking pirates and Christian princes: dynasty, religion, and empire in the
North Atlantic (Illustrated ed.). United States: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516237-4, ISBN 978-
0-19-516237-0.
MacManus, Seumas (1921). The Story of the Irish Race: A Popular History of Ireland. Ireland: The Irish
Publishing Co. ISBN 0-517-06408-1.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amlaíb_mac_Sitriuc&oldid=782306690"
Categories: 1034 deaths Military personnel killed in action People from County Dublin Norse-Gaels
11th-century Irish people Uí Ímair Monarchs of Dublin
This page was last edited on 26 May 2017, at 02:06.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
1. Hudson, p 83
2. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
w.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals
of the Four Masters. University College Cork. p. 819.
Retrieved 10 March 2009.
3. MacManus, p 278
4. Hudson, Benjamin T. "Sihtric (Sigtryggr Óláfsson,
Sigtryggr Silkiskegg) (d. 1042)".O xford Dictionary of
National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University
Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25545 (https://doi.org/10.1
093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F25545). (Subscription or UK
public library membership (https://global.oup.com/oxfordd
nb/info/freeodnb/libraries/) required.)
5. "Part 11 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
w.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text01.html). Annals
of the Four Masters. University College Cork. p. 769.
Retrieved 10 March 2009.
6. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
6. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
w.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals
of the Four Masters. University College Cork. p. 823.
Retrieved 10 March 2009.
7. Hudson, p 82
8. "Part 14 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
w.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text014.html.) Annals
of the Four Masters. University College Cork. p. 843.
Retrieved 10 March 2009.
9. Hudson, p 109-110
10. Hudson, p 110
11. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
w.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals
of the Four Masters. University College Cork. p. 815.
Retrieved 10 March 2009.
12. Hudson, p 111
13. "Part 14 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://ww
w.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text014.html.) Annals
of the Four Masters. University College Cork. p. 831.
Retrieved 10 March 2009.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to the 17th century Annals of the Four Masters, Amlaíb mac Sitriuc "was slain by the Saxons" on his way on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1034.[13] He was survived by one Ragnhild, who was the mother of Gruffudd ap Cynan, from whom the Kings of Gwynedd were descended.[1] Per Wikipedia.org

Ragnailt married ap Iago, King of Gwynedd Cynan in 1054 in Caernarvonshire, Wales. Cynan (son of ap Idwal ap Meurig, Iago and verch Gwair, Afandreg) was born in 1014 in Malltraeth, Anglesey, Wales; died in 1063 in Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Gruffudd ap Cynan

King of Gwynedd
Reign 1081–1137
Predecessor Trahaearn ap Caradog
Successor Owain Gwynedd
Born c. 1055
Dublin, Ireland
Died 1137
Gwynedd, Wales
Burial Bangor Cathedral
Spouse Angharad ferch Owain
Issue Cadwallon, Owain Gwynedd,
Cadwaladr, Susanna, Gwenllian
House Aberffraw
Father Cynan ab Iago
Mother Ragnailt ingen Amlaíb
Gruffudd ap Cynan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gruffudd ap Cynan (c. 1055 – 1137), sometimes written as
Gruffydd ap Cynan, was King of Gwynedd from 1081 until
his death in 1137. In the course of a long and eventful life, he
became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and
was remembered as King of all Wales. As a descendant of
Rhodri Mawr, Gruffudd ap Cynan was a senior member of
the princely House of Aberffraw.[1]
Through his mother, Gruffudd had close family connections
with the Norse settlement around Dublin and he frequently
used Ireland as a refuge and as a source of troops. He three
times gained the throne of Gwynedd and then lost it again,
before regaining it once more in 1099 and this time keeping
power until his death. Gruffudd laid the foundations which
were built upon by his son Owain Gwynedd and his greatgrandson
Llywelyn the Great.
Contents
1 Life
1.1 Ancestry
1.2 First bid for the throne
1.3 Second bid for the throne and capture by
the Normans
1.4 Escape from captivity and third reign
1.5 King for the fourth time and consolidation
2 Death and succession
3 Children
4 Ancestry
5 References
5.1 Notes
5.2 Citations
5.3 Sources
Life
Unusually for a Welsh king or prince, a near-contemporary
biography of Gruffudd, The history of Gruffudd ap Cynan,
has survived. Much of our knowledge of Gruffudd comes
from this source. The traditional view among scholars was that it was written during the third quarter of the
12th century during the reign of Gruffudd's son, Owain Gwynedd, but it has recently been suggested that it may
date from the early reign of Llywelyn the Great, around 1200. The author is not known.
Most of the existing manuscripts of the history are in Welsh but these are clearly translations of a Latin original.
It is usually considered that the original Latin version has been lost, and that existing Latin versions are retranslations
from the Welsh. However Russell (2006) has suggested that the Latin version in Peniarth MS 434E
incorporates the original Latin version, later amended to bring it into line with the Welsh text.
Coat of Arms retroactively attributed
to Gryffudd ap Cynan
Ancestry
According to the Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Gruffudd was born in Dublin and reared near Swords, County
Dublin in Ireland. He was the son of a Welsh Prince, Cynan ap Iago, who was a claimant to the Kingship of
Gwynedd but was probably never king of Gwynedd, though his father, Gruffudd's grandfather, Iago ab Idwal ap
Meurig had ruled Gwynedd from 1023 to 1039. When Gruffudd first appeared on the scene in Wales the Welsh
annals several times refer to him as "grandson of Iago" rather than the more usual "son of Cynan", indicating
that his father was little known in Wales. Cynan ap Iago seems to have died while Gruffudd was still young,
since the History describes his mother telling him who his father was.
According to Historia Gruffud vab Kenan, Gruffudd's mother was Ragnailt ingen Amlaíb, a granddaughter of
King Sigtrygg Silkbeard and a member of the Hiberno-Norse Uí Ímair dynasty.[2] The latter had two sons
named Amlaíb: one died in 1013, whilst another died in 1034. Either man could have been Ragnailt's father.
During his many struggles to gain the kingship of Gwynedd, Gruffudd received considerable aid from Ireland,
from the Hiberno-Norse at Dublin, the Isles and Wexford and from Muircheartach Ua Briain.
First bid for the thr one
Gruffudd first attempted to take over the rule of Gwynedd in 1075, following the death of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn.
Trahaearn ap Caradog had seized control of Gwynedd but had not yet firmly established himself. Gruffudd
landed on Abermenai Point, Anglesey with an Irish force, and with the assistance of troops provided by the
Norman Robert of Rhuddlan first defeated and killed Cynwrig ap Rhiwallon, an ally of Trahaearn who held
Llŷn, then defeated Trahaearn himself in the battle of Gwaed Erw in Meirionnydd and gained control of
Gwynedd.
Gruffudd then led his forces eastwards to reclaim territories taken over by the Normans, and despite the
assistance previously given by Robert of Rhuddlan attacked and destroyed Rhuddlan Castle. However tension
between Gruffudd's Danish-Irish bodyguard and the local Welsh led to a rebellion in Llŷn, and Trahaearn took
the opportunity to counterattack, defeating Gruffudd at the battle of Bron yr Erw above Clynnog Fawr the same
year.
Second bid for the thr one and capture by the Normans
Gruffudd fled to Ireland but, in 1081, returned and made an alliance
with Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of Deheubarth. Rhys had been attacked by
Caradog ap Gruffudd of Gwent and Morgannwg, and had been forced to
flee to St David's Cathedral. Gruffudd this time embarked from
Waterford with a force composed of Danes and Irish and landed near St
David's, presumably by prior arrangement with Rhys. He was joined
here by a force of his supporters from Gwynedd, and he and Rhys
marched north to seek Trahaearn ap Caradog and Caradog ap Gruffudd
who had themselves made an alliance and been joined by Meilyr ap
Rhiwallon of Powys. The armies of the two confederacies met at the
Battle of Mynydd Carn, with Gruffudd and Rhys victorious and
Trahaearn, Caradog and Meilyr all being killed. Gruffudd was thus able
to seize power in Gwynedd for the second time.
He was soon faced with a new enemy, as the Normans were now
encroaching on Gwynedd. Gruffudd had not been king very long when
he was enticed to a meeting with Hugh, Earl of Chester and Hugh, Earl
of Shrewsbury at Rhug, near Corwen. At the meeting Gruffudd was seized and taken prisoner. According to his
biographer this was by the treachery of one of his own men, Meirion Goch. Gruffudd was imprisoned in Earl
Hugh's castle at Chester for many years while Earl Hugh and Robert of Rhuddlan went on to take possession of
Gwynedd, building castles at Bangor, Wales Bangor, Caernarfon and Aberlleiniog.
Escape from captivity and third reign
Gruffudd reappeared on the scene years later, having escaped from captivity. According to his biography he
was in fetters in the market-place at Chester when Cynwrig the Tall, on a visit to the city, saw his opportunity
when the burgesses were at dinner. He picked Gruffudd up, fetters and all, and carried him out of the city on his
shoulders. There is debate among historians as to the year of Gruffudd's escape. Ordericus Vitalis mentions a
"Grifridus" attacking the Normans in 1088. The History in one place states that Gruffudd was imprisoned for
twelve years, in another that he was imprisoned for sixteen years. Since he was captured in 1081, that would
date his release to 1093 or 1097. J.E. Lloyd favours 1093, considering that Gruffudd was involved at the
beginning of the Welsh uprising in 1094. K.L. Maund on the other hand favours 1097, pointing out that there is
no reference to Gruffudd in the contemporary annals until 1098. D. Simon Evans inclines to the view that
Ordericus Vitalis' date of 1088 could be correct, suggesting that an argument based on the silence of the annals
is unsafe.
Gruffudd again took refuge in Ireland but returned to Gwynedd to lead the assaults on Norman castles such as
Aber Lleiniog. The Welsh revolt had begun in 1094 and by late 1095 had spread to many parts of Wales. This
induced William II of England (William Rufus) to intervene, invading northern Wales in 1095. However his
army was unable to bring the Welsh to battle and returned to Chester without having achieved very much. King
William mounted a second invasion in 1097, but again without much success. The History only mentions one
invasion by Rufus, which could indicate that Gruffudd did not feature in the resistance to the first invasion. At
this time Cadwgan ap Bleddyn of Powys led the Welsh resistance.
In the summer of 1098, Earl Hugh of Chester joined with Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury in another attempt to
recover his losses in Gwynedd. Gruffudd and his ally Cadwgan ap Bleddyn retreated to Anglesey, but were
then forced to flee to Ireland in a skiff when a fleet he had hired from the Danish settlement in Ireland accepted
a better offer from the Normans and changed sides.
King for the fourth time and consolidation
The situation was changed by the arrival of a Norwegian fleet under the command of King Magnus III of
Norway, also known as Magnus Barefoot, who attacked the Norman forces near the eastern end of the Menai
Straits. Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury was killed by an arrow said to have been shot by Magnus himself. The
Normans were obliged to evacuate Anglesey, and the following year, Gruffudd returned from Ireland to take
possession again, having apparently come to an agreement with Earl Hugh of Chester.
With the death of Hugh of Chester in 1101, Gruffudd was able to consolidate his position in Gwynedd, as much
by diplomacy as by force. He met King Henry I of England who granted him the rule of Llŷn, Eifionydd,
Ardudwy and Arllechwedd, considerably extending his kingdom. By 1114, he had gained enough power to
induce King Henry to invade Gwynedd in a three-pronged attack, one detachment led by King Alexander I of
Scotland. Faced by overwhelming force, Gruffudd was obliged to pay homage to Henry and to pay a heavy
fine, but lost no territory. By about 1118, Gruffudd's advancing years meant that most of the fighting, which
pushed Gwynedd's borders eastward and southwards, was done by his three sons by his wife Angharad,
daughter of Owain ab Edwin of Tegeingl: Cadwallon, Owain Gwynedd and later Cadwaladr. The cantrefs of
Rhos and Rhufoniog were annexed in 1118, Meirionnydd captured from Powys in 1123, and Dyffryn Clwyd in
1124. Another invasion by the king of England in 1121 was a military failure. The king had to come to terms
with Gruffudd and made no further attempt to invade Gwynedd during Gruffudd's reign. The death of
Cadwallon in a battle against the forces of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 checked further expansion for the
time being.
Gruffudd was now powerful enough to ensure that his nominee David the Scot was consecrated as Bishop of
Bangor in 1120. The see had been effectively vacant since Bishop Hervey le Breton had been forced to flee by
the Welsh almost twenty years before, since Gruffudd and King Henry could not agree on a candidate. David
went on to rebuild Bangor Cathedral with a large financial contribution from Gruffudd.
Gruffudd was buried in Bangor
Cathedral
Owain and Cadwaladr, in alliance with Gruffudd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, gained a crushing victory over the
Normans at Crug Mawr near Cardigan in 1136 and took possession of Ceredigion. The latter part of Gruffydd's
reign was considered to be a "Golden Age"; according to the Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan Gwynedd was
"bespangled with lime-washed churches like the stars in the firmament".
Death and succession
Gruffudd died in his bed, old and blind, in 1137 and was mourned by the
annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the "head and king and defender and
pacifier of all Wales". He was buried by the high altar in Bangor Cathedral
which he had been involved in rebuilding. He also made bequests to many
other churches, including one to Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin where he
had worshipped as a boy. He was succeeded as king of Gwynedd by his son
Owain Gwynedd. His daughter Gwenllian, who married Gruffudd ap Rhys
of Deheubarth, son of his old ally Rhys ap Tewdwr, is also notable for her
resistance to English rule.
Children
The family line of Cynan shows he had many children by several different women.[3] With wife Angharad
(daughter of Owain ab Edwin) he had:[4]
Owain Gwynedd (Owain ap Gruffudd),[1] married (1) Gwladus (Gladys) ferch Llywarch, daughter of
Llywarch ap Trahaearn (2) Cristin ferch Goronwy, daughter of Goronwy ab Owain
Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd, married Alice de Clare, daughter of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare
Cadwallon ap Gruffudd[5]
Mareda
Susanna, married Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys
Ranulht
Agnes
Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd, married Gruffudd ap Rhys, prince of Deheubarth
Ancestry
Ancestors of Gruffudd ap Cynan
16. Meurig ap Idwal Foel
8. Idwal ap Meurig
4. Iago ab Idwal
2. Cynan ab Iago
1. Gruffudd ap Cynan
24. Amlaíb Cuarán
12. Sigtrygg Silkbeard
6. Amlaíb
3. Ragnailt
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
Llwyd, Humphrey (2002). Cronica Walliae. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1638-2.
Lloyd, John Edward (2004). A History of Wales: From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest.
Banes & Noble. ISBN 978-0-7607-5241-8.
R.R. Davies (1991). The age of conquest: Wales 1063–1415. O.U.P. ISBN 0-19-820198-2.
Simon Evans (1990). A Mediaeval Prince of Wales: the Life of Gruffudd Ap Cynan. Llanerch Enterprises.
ISBN 0-947992-58-8.
Hudson, Benjamin T. (2005). Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in the
North Atlantic (Illustrated ed.). United States: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195162374, ISBN 978-0-
19-516237-0.
Arthur Jones (1910). The history of Gruffydd ap Cynan: the Welsh text with translation, introduction and
notes. Manchester University Press.. Translation online at The Celtic Literature Collective
K.L. Maund (ed) (1996). Gruffudd ap Cynan: a collaborative biography. Boydell Press. ISBN 0-85115-
389-5.
Kari Maund (ed) (2006). The Welsh kings:warriors, warlords and princes. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2973-
6.
Paul Russell (ed) (2006). Vita Griffini Filii Conani: The Medieval Latin Life of Gruffudd Ap Cynan.
University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1893-2.
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis
Weis, Lines: 176B-26, 239–5
Gruffudd ap Cynan
House of Aberffraw
Cadet branch of the House of Gwynedd
Born: c. 1055 Died: 11 April 1137
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Trahaearn ap Caradog
King of Gwynedd
1081–1137
Succeeded by
Owain Gwynedd
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gruffudd_ap_Cynan&oldid=786425342"
Categories: 1050s births 1137 deaths Monarchs of Gwynedd House of Aberffraw Uí Ímair
British people of Scandinavian descent 11th-century Welsh monarchs 12th-century Welsh monarchs
People from Dublin (city) Norse-Gaelic monarchs Welsh people of Irish descent
This page was last edited on 19 June 2017, at 11:43.
1. Lloyd 2004, p. 93.
2. Hudson, p 83
3. Llwyd 2002, p. 151.
4. Lloyd 2004, p. 274.
5. Lloyd 2004, p. 78.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Family/Spouse: verch Owain, Angharad. Angharad was born in UNKNOWN in Gwynedd, Wales; died in 1162 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Owain Gwynedd
Prince of Gwynedd
King of All Wales
Predecessor Gruffudd ap Cynan
Successor Rhys ap Gruffydd
King of Gwynedd
Reign 1137-1170
Predecessor Gruffudd ap Cynan
Successor Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
Born c. 1100
Gwynedd, Wales?
Died 23 or 28 November 1170 (aged 69–70)
Burial Bangor Cathedral
Spouse Gwladus ferch Llywarch, Cristin ferch
Goronwy
Issue Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
Iorwerth "Drwyndwn" ab
Owain Gwynedd
Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd
Gwenllian ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd
Angharad ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Margaret ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Iefan ferch Owain Gwynedd
Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd
Rhirid ab Owain Gwynedd
Rhirid ab Owain Gwynedd
Madoc ab Owain Gwynedd
Cynwrig ab Owain Gwynedd
Gwenllian ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Einion ab Owain Gwynedd
Iago ab Owain Gwynedd
Ffilip ab Owain Gwynedd
Cadell ab Owain Gwynedd
Rotpert ab Owain Gwynedd
Idwal ab Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Owain ap Gruffudd (c. 1100 – 23 or 28 November 1170)
was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his
death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He
was called "Owain the Great" (Welsh: Owain Mawr) [1] and
the first to be styled "Prince of Wales".[2] He is considered to
be the most successful of all the North Welsh princes prior to
his grandson, Llywelyn the Great. He became known as
Owain Gwynedd (Middle Welsh: Owain Gwyned, "Owain
of Gwynedd") to distinguish him from the contemporary
king of Powys Wenwynwyn, Owain ap Gruffydd ap
Maredudd, who became known as Owain Cyfeiliog.[3]
Contents
1 Early life
2 Accession to the throne and early campaigns
3 War with King Henry II
4 Disputes with the church and succession
5 Heirs and successors
6 Ancestry
7 Fiction
8 Titles
9 References
9.1 Sources
Early life
Owain Gwynedd was a member of the House of Aberffraw,
the senior branch of the dynasty of Rhodri the Great. His
father, Gruffudd ap Cynan, was a strong and long-lived ruler
who had made the principality of Gwynedd the most
influential in Wales during the sixty-two years of his reign,
using the island of Anglesey as his power base. His mother,
Angharad ferch Owain, was the daughter of Owain ab Edwin
of Tegeingl. Owain Gwynedd was the second son of
Gruffydd and Angharad. His elder brother, Cadwallon, was
killed in fighting in Powys in 1132.
Owain is thought to have been born on Anglesey about the
year 1100. By about 1120 Gruffydd had grown too old to
lead his forces in battle and Owain and his brothers
Cadwallon and later Cadwaladr led the forces of Gwynedd
against the Normans and against other Welsh princes with
great success. His elder brother Cadwallon was killed in a
battle against the forces of Powys in 1132, leaving Owain as
his father's heir. Owain and Cadwaladr, in alliance with
House Aberffraw
Father Gruffudd ap Cynan
Mother Angharad ferch Owain
Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, won a major victory over
the Normans at Crug Mawr near Cardigan in 1136 and
annexed Ceredigion to their father's realm.
Accession to the throne and early
campaigns
On Gruffydd's death in 1137, therefore, Owain inherited a portion of a well-established kingdom, but had to
share it with Cadwaladr. In 1143 Cadwaladr was implicated in the murder of Anarawd ap Gruffydd of
Deheubarth, and Owain responded by sending his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd to strip him of his lands in
the north of Ceredigion. Though Owain was later reconciled with Cadwaladr, from 1143, Owain ruled alone
over most of north Wales. In 1155 Cadwaladr was driven into exile.
Owain took advantage of the Anarchy, a civil war between Stephen, King of England, and the Empress
Matilda, to push Gwynedd's boundaries further east than ever before.[4] In 1146 he captured Mold Castle and
about 1150 captured Rhuddlan and encroached on the borders of Powys. The prince of Powys, Madog ap
Maredudd, with assistance from Earl Ranulf of Chester, gave battle at Coleshill, but Owain was victorious.
War with King Henry II
All went well until the accession of King Henry II of England in 1154. Henry invaded Gwynedd in 1157 with
the support of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys and Owain's brother Cadwaladr. The invasion met with mixed
fortunes. Henry's forces ravaged eastern Gwynedd and destroyed many churches thus enraging the local
population. The two armies met at Ewloe. Owain's men ambushed the royal army in a narrow, wooded valley,
routing it completely with King Henry himself narrowly avoiding capture.[5] The fleet accompanying the
invasion made a landing on Anglesey where it was defeated. Ultimately, at the end of the campaign, Owain was
forced to come to terms with Henry, being obliged to surrender Rhuddlan and other conquests in the east.
Forty years after these events, the scholar, Gerald of Wales, in a rare quote from these times, wrote what Owain
Gwynedd said to his troops on the eve of battle:
"My opinion, indeed, by no means agrees with yours, for we ought to rejoice at this conduct of our
adversary; for, unless supported by divine assistance, we are far inferior to the English; and they,
by their behaviour, have made God their enemy, who is able most powerfully to avenge both
himself and us. We therefore most devoutly promise God that we will henceforth pay greater
reverence than ever to churches and holy places."[5]
Madog ap Maredudd died in 1160, enabling Owain to regain territory in the east. In 1163 he formed an alliance
with Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth to challenge English rule. King Henry again invaded Gwynedd in 1165,
but instead of taking the usual route along the northern coastal plain, the king's army invaded from Oswestry
and took a route over the Berwyn hills. The invasion was met by an alliance of all the Welsh princes, with
Owain as the undisputed leader. However, apart from a small melee at the Battle of Crogen there was little
fighting, for the Welsh weather came to Owain's assistance as torrential rain forced Henry to retreat in disorder.
The infuriated Henry mutilated a number of Welsh hostages, including two of Owain's sons.
Henry did not invade Gwynedd again and Owain was able to regain his eastern conquests, recapturing
Rhuddlan castle in 1167 after a siege of three months.
Disputes with the church and succession
There is no evidence
Owain used a coat of
arms during his life, but
later antiquarians
retroactively attributed to
Owain Gwynedd the
blazon: Vert, three eagles
displayed in fess Or.
The last years of Owain's life were spent in disputes with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, over
the appointment of a new Bishop of Bangor. When the see became vacant Owain had his nominee, Arthur of
Bardsey, elected. The archbishop refused to accept this, so Owain had Arthur consecrated in Ireland. The
dispute continued, and the see remained officially vacant until well after Owain's death. He was also put under
pressure by the Archbishop and the Pope to put aside his second wife, Cristin, who was his first cousin, this
relationship making the marriage invalid under church law. Despite being excommunicated for his defiance,
Owain steadfastly refused to put Cristin aside. Owain died in 1170, and despite having been excommunicated
was buried in Bangor Cathedral by the local clergy. The annalist writing Brut y Tywysogion recorded his death
"after innumerable victories, and unconquered from his youth".
He is believed to have commissionedThe Life of Gruffydd ap Cynan, an account of his father's life. Following
his death, civil war broke out between his sons. Owain was married twice, first to Gwladus ferch Llywarch ap
Trahaearn, by whom he had two sons, Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Iorwerth Drwyndwn, the father of
Llywelyn the Great, then to Cristin, by whom he had three sons including Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd and
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd. He also had a number of illegitimate sons, who by Welsh law had an equal claim
on the inheritance if acknowledged by their father.
Heirs and successors
Owain had originally designated Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd as his successor. Rhun
was Owain's favourite son, and his premature death in 1146 plunged his father into
a deep melancholy, from which he was only roused by the news that his forces had
captured Mold castle. Owain then designated Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd as his
successor, but after his death Hywel was first driven to seek refuge in Ireland by
Cristina's sons, Dafydd and Rhodri, then killed at the battle of Pentraeth when he
returned with an Irish army. Dafydd and Rhodri split Gwynedd between them, but
a generation passed before Gwynedd was restored to its former glory under
Owain's grandson Llywelyn the Great.
According to legend, one of Owain's sons was Prince Madoc, who is popularly
supposed to have fled across the Atlantic and colonised America.
Altogether, the prolific Owain Gwynedd is said to have had the following children
from two wives and at least four mistresses:
Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate in Catholic custom, but legitimate
successor in Welsh law)
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate in Catholic custom, but legitimate
successor in Welsh law)
Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd (the "flat nose", also called Edward in some sources, from first wife
Gwladys (Gladys) ferch Llywarch)
Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd,(from first wife Gwladys (Gladys) ferch Llywarch) Lord of Môn (1169–
1173)
Gwenllian ferch Owain Gwynedd
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (from second wife Cristina (Christina) ferch Gronw)
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd, Lord of Môn (1175–1193) (from second wife Cristina (Christina) ferch
Gronw)
Angharad ferch Owain Gwynedd
Margaret ferch Owain Gwynedd
Iefan ab Owain Gwynedd
Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd, Lord of Meirionnydd (illegitimate)
Rhirid ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Madoc ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate) (speculative/legendary)
Cynwrig ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Gwenllian II ferch Owain Gwynedd (also shared the same name with a sister)
Einion ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Iago ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Ffilip ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Cadell ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Rotpert ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Idwal ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Other daughters
Ancestry
16. Idwal ap Meurig ap Idwal Foel
8. Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig
4. Cynan ab Iago
2. Gruffudd ap Cynan
20. Sigtrygg Silkbeard
10. Amlaíb mac Sitriuc
21. Sláine daughter of Brian Boru
5. Ragnhilda of Ireland
1. Owain
Gwynedd
24. Einion ab Owain
12. Edwin ab Einion
6. Owain ab Edwin
3. Angharad ferch Owain
Fiction
Owain is a recurring character in the Brother Cadfael series of novels by Ellis Peters, often referred to, and
appearing in the novels Dead Man's Ransom and The Summer of the Danes. He acts shrewdly to keep Wales's
borders secure, and sometimes to expand them, during the civil war between King Stephen and Matilda, and
sometimes acts as an ally to Cadfael and his friend, Sheriff Hugh Beringar. Cadwaladr also appears in both
these novels as a source of grief for his brother. Owain appears as a minor character in novels of Sharon Kay
Penman concerning Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (When Christ and His Saints Slept and Time and
Chance). Her focus with respect to Owain is on the fluctuating and factious relationship between England and
Wales.
He also appears in the Sarah Woodbury 'Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery Series' of books.
Titles
Owain Gwynedd
House of Aberffraw
Cadet branch of the House of Gwynedd
Born: c. 1100 Died: 23 or 28 November 1 170
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Gruffudd ap Cynan
Prince of Gwynedd
1137–1169
Succeeded by
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
References
Sources
Lloyd, John Edward (2004). A History of Wales: From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest.
Barnes & Noble. ISBN 978-0-7607-5241-8.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Owain_Gwynedd&oldid=786302027"
Categories: House of Aberffraw Monarchs of Gwynedd
People excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church 1100s births 1170 deaths
12th-century Welsh monarchs Welsh princes Welsh people of Irish descent
This page was last edited on 18 June 2017, at 15:41.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
1. Lloyd 2004, p. 94.
2. Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Baines, Menna; Lynch,
Peredur I., eds. (2008). The Welsh Academy
Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales
Press. p. 636. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
3. Lloyd 2004, p. 93.
4. R. R. Davies, Conquest, Coexistence and Change.
4. R. R. Davies, Conquest, Coexistence and Change.
Wales 1063-1415 (Oxford, 1987), p. 229.
5. "Gerald of Wales, Itinirum Cambrae" (http://www.buil
dinghistory.org/primary/gerald2.shtml).
Buildinghistory.org. 2010-03-16. Retrieved
2013-03-01.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: verch Madog, Margred. Margred (daughter of ap Maredudd, Madog) was born in 1129 in Overton, Lancashire, England; died in 1198 in Somme, Picardie, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Prince
• Nickname: The Great (Fawr)
• FSID: 9HFS-PKH

Notes:

Llywelyn Fawr
Prince of Gwynedd, and Powys Wenwynwyn
Prince of Aberffraw and Lord of Snowdon
Prince of Gwynedd Reign 1195–1240

Predecessor Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd
Successor Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn Reign 1216–1240
Predecessor Gwenwynwyn ab Owain
Successor Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn

Born c. 1173 Dolwyddelan
Died 11 April 1240 Cistercian, Aberconwy Abbey, Wales
Burial Aberconwy Abbey, Wales
Spouse Joan, Lady of Wales
Issue
Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Elen ferch Llywelyn
Gwladus Ddu
Marared ferch Llywelyn
Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn

Llywelyn the Great
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Llywelyn the Great (Welsh: Llywelyn Fawr, [ɬəˈwɛlɪn vaʊ̯r]), full name Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, (c. 1172 – 11 April 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for 45 years. During Llywelyn's boyhood, Gwynedd was ruled by two of his uncles, who split the kingdom between them, following the death of Llywelyn's grandfather, Owain Gwynedd, in 1170. Llywelyn had a strong claim to be the legitimate ruler and began a campaign to win power at an early age. He was sole ruler of Gwynedd by 1200 and made a treaty with King John of England that year. Llywelyn's relations with John remained good for the next ten years. He married John's natural daughter Joan in 1205, and when John arrested Gwenwynwyn ap Owain of Powys in 1208, Llywelyn took the opportunity to annex southern Powys. In 1210, relations deteriorated, and John invaded Gwynedd in 1211. Llywelyn was forced to seek terms and to give up all lands west of the River Conwy, but was able to recover them the following year in alliance with the other Welsh princes. He allied himself with the barons who forced John to sign Magna Carta in 1215. By 1216, he was the dominant power in Wales, holding a council at Aberdyfi that year to apportion lands to the other princes. Following King John's death, Llywelyn concluded the Treaty of Worcester with his successor, Henry III, in 1218. During the next fifteen years, Llywelyn was frequently involved in fights with Marcher lords and sometimes with the king, but also made alliances with several major powers in the
Marches. The Peace of Middle in 1234 marked the end of Llywelyn's military career, as the agreed truce of two years was extended year by year for the remainder of his reign. He
maintained his position in Wales until his death in 1240 and was succeeded by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn.

Genealogy and early life
Llywelyn was born about 1173, the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death in 1170. Llywelyn was a descendant of the senior line of Rhodri Mawr and therefore a member of the princely house of Gwynedd.[1] He was probably born at Dolwyddelan, though not in the present Dolwyddelan castle, which was built by Llywelyn himself. He may have been born in the old castle which occupied a rocky knoll on the valley floor.[2] Little is known about his father, Iorwerth Drwyndwn, who died when Llywelyn was an infant. There is no record of Iorwerth having taken part in the power struggle between some of Owain Gwynedd's other sons following Owain's death, although he was the eldest surviving son. There is a tradition that he was disabled or disfigured in some way that excluded him from power.[3]

By 1175, Gwynedd had been divided between two of Llywelyn's uncles. Dafydd ab Owain held the area east of the River Conwy and Rhodri ab Owain held the west. Dafydd and Rhodri were the sons of Owain by his second marriage to Cristin verch Goronwy. This marriage was not considered valid by the church as Cristin was Owain's first cousin, a degree of relationship which according to Canon law prohibited marriage. Giraldus Cambrensis refers to Iorwerth Drwyndwn as the only legitimate son of Owain Gwynedd.[4] Following Iorwerth's death, Llywelyn was, at least in the eyes of the church, the legitimate claimant to the throne of Gwynedd.[5]

Llywelyn's mother was Marared, occasionally anglicised to Margaret, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys. There is evidence that, after her first husband's death, Marared married in the summer of 1197, Gwion, the nephew of Roger Powys of Whittington Castle with whom she had a son, David ap Gwion. Therefore, some maintain that Marared never married into the Corbet family of Caus Castle (near Westbury, Shropshire) and later, Moreton Corbet Castle.[6] However, there is in existence a grant of land from Llywelyn ab Iorworth to the monastery of Wigmore, in which Llywelyn indicates his mother was a member of the house of Corbet, leaving the issue unresolved.[7]

Rise to power 1188–1199
In his account of his journey around Wales in 1188, Giraldus Cambrensis mentions that the young Llywelyn was already in arms against his uncles Dafydd and Rhodri; Owen, son of Gruffyth, prince of North Wales, had many sons, but only one legitimate, namely, Jorwerth Drwyndwn, which in Welsh means flat-nosed, who had a son named Lhewelyn. This young man, being only twelve years of age, began, during the period of our journey, to molest his uncles David and Roderic, the sons of Owen by Christiana, his cousin-german; and although they had divided amongst themselves all North Wales, except the land of Conan, and although David, having married the sister of king Henry II, by whom he had one son, was powerfully supported by the English, yet within a few years the legitimate son, destitute of lands or money (by the aid of divine vengeance), bravely expelled from North Wales those who were born in public incest, though supported by their own wealth and by that of others, leaving them nothing but what the liberality of his own mind and the counsel of good men from pity suggested: a proof that adulterous and incestuous persons are displeasing to God.[8]

In 1194, with the aid of his cousins Gruffudd ap Cynan[9] and Maredudd ap Cynan, he defeated Dafydd at the Battle of Aberconwy at the mouth of the River Conwy. Rhodri died in 1195, and his lands west of the Conwy were taken over by Gruffudd and Maredudd while Llywelyn ruled the territories taken from Dafydd east of the Conwy.[10] In 1197, Llywelyn captured Dafydd and imprisoned him. A year later Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, persuaded Llywelyn to release him, and Dafydd retired to England where he died in May 1203. Wales was divided into Pura Wallia, the areas ruled by the Welsh princes, and Marchia Wallia, ruled by the Anglo-Norman barons. Since the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, Rhys ap Gruffydd had made the southern kingdom of Deheubarth the strongest of the Welsh kingdoms, and had established himself as the leader of Pura Wallia. After Rhys died in 1197, fighting between his sons led to the splitting of Deheubarth between warring factions. Gwenwynwyn ab Owain, prince of Powys Wenwynwyn, tried to take over as leader of the Welsh princes, and in 1198, raised a great army to besiege Painscastle, which was held by the troops of William de Braose, Lord of Bramber. Llywelyn sent troops to help Gwenwynwyn, but in August Gwenwynwyn's force was attacked by an army led by the Justiciar, Geoffrey Fitz Peter, and heavily defeated.[11] Gwenwynwyn's defeat gave Llywelyn the opportunity to establish himself as the leader of the Welsh. In 1199, he captured the important castle of Mold and was apparently using the title "prince of the whole of North Wales" (Latin: tocius norwallie princeps).[12] Llywelyn was probably not in fact master of all Gwynedd at this time since it was his cousin Gruffudd ap Cynan who promised homage to King John for Gwynedd in 1199.[13]

Reign as Prince of Gwynedd
Consolidation 1200–1209
Gruffudd ap Cynan died in 1200 and left Llywelyn the undisputed ruler of Gwynedd. In 1201, he took Eifionydd and Llŷn from Maredudd ap Cynan on a charge of treachery.[13] In July, the same year Llywelyn concluded a treaty with King John of England. This is the earliest surviving written agreement between an English king and a Welsh ruler, and under its terms Llywelyn was to swear fealty and do homage to the king. In return, it confirmed Llywelyn's possession of his conquests and allowed cases relating to lands claimed by Llywelyn to be heard under Welsh law.[14]

Llywelyn made his first move beyond the borders of Gwynedd in August 1202 when he raised a force to attack Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys, who was now his main rival in Wales. The clergy intervened to make peace between Llywelyn and Gwenwynwyn and the invasion was called off. Elise ap Madog, lord of Penllyn, had Llywelyn consolidated his position in 1205 by marrying Joan, the natural daughter of King John. He had previously been negotiating with Pope Innocent III for leave to marry his uncle Rhodri's widow, daughter of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles. However this proposal was dropped.[16]

In 1208, Gwenwynwyn of Powys fell out with King John who summoned him to Shrewsbury in October and then arrested him and stripped him of his lands. Llywelyn took the opportunity to annex southern Powys and northern Ceredigion and rebuild Aberystwyth castle.[17] In the summer of 1209 he accompanied John on a campaign against King William I of Scotland.[18]

Setback and recovery 1210–1217
In 1210, relations between Llywelyn and King John deteriorated. J.E. Lloyd suggests that the rupture may have been due to Llywelyn forming an alliance with William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, who had fallen out with the king and had been deprived of his lands.[19] While John led a campaign against de Braose and his allies in Ireland, an army led by Earl Ranulph of Chester, and Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, invaded Gwynedd. Llywelyn destroyed his own castle at Deganwy and retreated west of the River Conwy. The Earl of Chester rebuilt Deganwy, and Llywelyn retaliated by ravaging the earl's lands.[20] John sent troops to help restore Gwenwynwyn to the rule of southern Powys. In 1211, John invaded Gwynedd with the aid of almost all the other Welsh princes, planning according to Brut y Tywysogion "to dispossess Llywelyn and destroy him utterly".[21] The first invasion was forced to retreat, but in August that year John invaded again with a larger army, crossed the River Conwy and penetrated Snowdonia.[22] Bangor was burnt by a detachment of the royal army and the Bishop of Bangor captured. Llywelyn was forced to come to terms, and by the advice of his council sent his wife Joan to negotiate with the king, her father.[23] Joan was able to persuade her father not to dispossess her husband completely, but Llywelyn lost all his lands west of the River Conwy.[24] He also had to pay a large tribute in cattle and horses and to hand over hostages, including his illegitimate son Gruffydd, and was forced to agree that if he died without a legitimate heir by Joan, all his lands would revert to the king.[25] This was the low point of Llywelyn's reign, but he quickly recovered his position. The other Welsh princes, who had supported King John against Llywelyn, soon became disillusioned with John's rule and changed sides. Llywelyn formed an alliance with Gwenwynwyn of Powys and the two main rulers of Deheubarth, Maelgwn ap Rhys and Rhys Gryg, and rose against John. They had the support of Pope Innocent III, who had been engaged in a dispute with John for several years and had placed his kingdom under an interdict. Innocent released Llywelyn, Gwenwynwyn and Maelgwn from all oaths of loyalty to John and lifted the interdict in the territories which they controlled. Llywelyn was able to recover all Gwynedd apart from the castles of Deganwy and Rhuddlan within two months in 1212.[26]

John planned another invasion of Gwynedd in August 1212. According to one account, he had just commenced by hanging some of the Welsh hostages given the previous year when he received two letters. One was from his daughter Joan, Llywelyn's wife, the other from William I of Scotland, and both warned him in similar terms that if he invaded Wales his magnates would seize the opportunity to kill him or hand him over to his enemies.[27] The invasion was abandoned, and in 1213, Llywelyn took the castles of Deganwy and Rhuddlan.[28] Llywelyn made an alliance with Philip II Augustus of France,[29] then allied himself with the barons who were in rebellion against John, marching on Shrewsbury and capturing it without resistance in 1215.[30] When John was forced to sign Magna Carta, Llywelyn was rewarded with several favourable provisions relating to Wales, including the release of his son, Gruffydd, who had been a hostage since 1211.[31] The same year, Ednyfed Fychan was appointed seneschal of Gwynedd and was to work closely with Llywelyn for the remainder of his reign. Llywelyn had now established himself as the leader of the independent princes of Wales, and in December 1215, led an army which included all the lesser princes to capture the castles of Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanstephan, Cardigan and Cilgerran. Another indication of his growing power was that he was able to insist on the consecration of Welshmen to two vacant sees that year, Iorwerth, as Bishop of St. David's, and Cadwgan, as Bishop of Bangor.[32]

In 1216, Llywelyn held a council at Aberdyfi to adjudicate on the territorial claims of the lesser princes, who affirmed their homage and allegiance to Llywelyn. Beverley Smith comments, "Henceforth, the leader would be lord, and the allies would be subjects".[33] Gwenwynwyn of Powys changed sides again that year and allied himself with King John. Llywelyn called up the other princes for a campaign against him and drove him out of southern Powys once more. Gwenwynwyn died in England later that year, leaving an underage heir. King John also died that year, and he also left an underage heir in King Henry III with a minority government set up in England.[34]

In 1217, Reginald de Braose of Brecon and Abergavenny, who had been allied to Llywelyn and married his daughter, Gwladus Ddu, was induced by the English crown to change sides. Llywelyn responded by invading his lands, first threatening Brecon, where the burgesses offered hostages for the payment of 100 marks, then heading for Swansea where Reginald de Braose met him to offer submission and to surrender the town. He then continued westwards to threaten Haverfordwest where the burgesses offered hostages for their submission to his rule or the payment of a fine of 1,000 marks.[35]

Treaty of Worcester and border campaigns 1218–1229
Following King John's death Llywelyn concluded the Treaty of Worcester with his successor Henry III in 1218. This treaty confirmed him in possession of all his recent conquests. From then until his death Llywelyn was the dominant force in Wales, though there were further outbreaks of hostilities with marcher lords, particularly the Marshall family and Hubert de Burgh, and sometimes with the king. Llywelyn built up marriage alliances with several of the Marcher families. One daughter, Gwladus Ddu, ("Gwladus the Dark") was already married to Reginald de Braose of Brecon and Abergavenny, but with Reginald an unreliable ally Llywelyn married another daughter, Marared, to John de Braose of Gower, Reginald's nephew. He found a loyal ally in Ranulph, Earl of Chester, whose nephew and heir, John the Scot, married Llywelyn's daughter Elen in about 1222. Following Reginald de Braose's death in 1228, Llywelyn also made an alliance with the powerful Mortimer family of Wigmore when Gwladus Ddu married as her second husband Ralph de Mortimer.[36] Llywelyn was careful not to provoke unnecessary hostilities with the crown or the Marcher lords; for example in 1220, he compelled Rhys Gryg to return four commotes in South Wales to their previous Anglo-Norman owners.[37] He built a number of castles to defend his borders, most thought to have been built between 1220 Criccieth Castle is one of a number built by Llywelyn. and 1230. These were the first sophisticated stone castles in Wales; his castles at Criccieth, Deganwy, Dolbadarn, Dolwyddelan and Castell y Bere are among the best examples.[38] Llywelyn also appears to have fostered the development of quasi-urban settlements in Gwynedd to act as centres of trade.[39]

Hostilities broke out with William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, in 1220. Llywelyn destroyed the castles of Narberth and Wiston, burnt the town of Haverfordwest and threatened Pembroke Castle, but agreed to abandon the attack on payment of £100. In early 1223, Llywelyn crossed the border into Shropshire and captured Kinnerley and Whittington castles. The Marshalls took advantage of Llywelyn's involvement here to land near St David's in April with an army raised in Ireland and recaptured Cardigan and Carmarthen without opposition. The Marshalls' campaign was supported by a royal army which took possession of Montgomery. Llywelyn came to an agreement with the king at Montgomery in October that year. Llywelyn's allies in south Wales were given back lands taken from them by the Marshalls and Llywelyn himself gave up his conquests in Shropshire.[40]

In 1228, Llywelyn was engaged in a campaign against Hubert de Burgh, who was Justiciar of England and Ireland and one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. Hubert had been given the lordship and castle of Montgomery by the king and was encroaching on Llywelyn's lands nearby. The king raised an army to help Hubert, who began to build another castle in the commote of Ceri. However, in October the royal army was obliged to retreat and Henry agreed to destroy the half-built castle in exchange for the payment of £2,000 by Llywelyn. Llywelyn raised the money by demanding the same sum as the ransom of William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny, whom he had captured in the fighting.[41]

Marital problems 1230
Following his capture, William de Braose decided to ally himself to Llywelyn, and a marriage was arranged between his daughter Isabella and Llywelyn's heir, Dafydd ap Llywelyn. At Easter 1230, William visited Llywelyn's court. During this visit he was found in Llywelyn's chamber together with Llywelyn's wife Joan. On 2 May, de Braose was hanged; Joan was placed under house arrest for a year. The Brut y Tywysogion chronicler commented: "that year William de Breos the Younger, lord of Brycheiniog, was hanged by the lord Llywelyn in Gwynedd, after he had been caught in Llywelyn's chamber with the king of England's daughter, Llywelyn's wife".[42]

A letter from Llywelyn to William's wife, Eva de Braose, written shortly after the execution enquires whether she still wishes the marriage between Dafydd and Isabella to take place.[43] The marriage did go ahead, and the following year Joan was forgiven and restored to her position as princess.

Until 1230, Llywelyn had used the title princeps Norwalliæ 'Prince of North Wales', but from that year he changed his title to 'Prince of North Wales and Lord of Snowdonia', possibly to underline his supremacy over the other Welsh princes.[44] He did not formally style himself 'Prince of Wales' although as J.E. Lloyd comments "he had much of the power which such a title might imply".[45]

Final campaigns and the Peace of Middle 1231–1240
In 1231, there was further fighting. Llywelyn was becoming concerned about the growing power of Hubert de Burgh. Some of his men had been taken prisoner by the garrison of Montgomery and beheaded, and Llywelyn responded by burning Montgomery, Powys, New Radnor, Hay, and Brecon before turning west to capture the castles of Neath and Kidwelly. He completed the campaign by recapturing Cardigan castle.[46] King Henry retaliated by launching an invasion and built a new castle at Painscastle, but was unable to penetrate far into Wales.[47]

Negotiations continued into 1232, when Hubert was removed from office and later imprisoned. Much of his power passed to Peter de Rivaux, including control of several castles in south Wales. William Marshal had died in 1231, and his brother Richard had succeeded him as Earl of Pembroke. In 1233, hostilities broke out between Richard Marshal and Peter de Rivaux, who was supported by the king. Llywelyn made an alliance with Richard, and in January 1234 the earl and Llywelyn seized Shrewsbury. Richard was killed in Ireland in April, but the king agreed to make peace with the insurgents.[48] The Peace of Middle, agreed on 21 June, established a truce of two years with Llywelyn, who was allowed to retain Cardigan and Builth. This truce was renewed year by year for the remainder of Llywelyn's reign.[49]

Death and aftermath
Arrangements for the succession
In his later years, Llywelyn devoted much effort to ensuring that his only legitimate son, Dafydd, would follow him as ruler of Gwynedd and amended Welsh law as followed in Gwynedd.[50] Llywelyn's amendment to Welsh law favoring legitimate children in a Church sanctioned marriage mirrored the earlier efforts of the Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth, in designating Gruffydd ap Rhys II as his heir over those of his illegitimate eldest son, Maelgwn ap Rhys. In both cases, by favoring legitimate children born in a Church sanctioned marriage would facilitate better relations between their sons and the wider Anglo-Norman polity and Catholic Church by removing any "stigma" of illegitimacy. Dafydd's older but illegitimate brother, Gruffydd, was therefore excluded as the primary heir of Llywelyn, though would be given lands to rule. This was a departure from Welsh custom, which held that the eldest son was his father's heir regardless of his parent's marital status.[51][52]

In 1220, Llywelyn induced the minority government of King Henry to acknowledge Dafydd as his heir.[53] In 1222, he petitioned Pope Honorius III to have Dafydd's succession confirmed. The original petition has not been preserved but the Pope's reply refers to the "detestable custom... in his land whereby the son of the handmaiden was equally heir with the son of the free woman and illegitimate sons obtained an inheritance as if they were legitimate". The Pope welcomed the fact that Llywelyn was abolishing this custom.[54] In 1226, Llywelyn persuaded the Pope to declare his wife Joan, Dafydd's mother, to be a legitimate daughter of King John, again in order to strengthen Dafydd's position, and in 1229, the English crown accepted Dafydd's homage for the lands he would inherit from his father.[53] In 1238, Llywelyn held a council at Strata Florida Abbey where the other Welsh princes swore fealty to Dafydd.[53] Llywelyn's original intention had been that they should do homage to Dafydd, but the king wrote to the other rulers forbidding them to do homage.[55] Additionally, Prince Llywelyn arranged for his son Dafydd to marry Isabella de Braose, eldest daughter of William de Braose. As William de Braose had no male heir, Llywelyn strategized that the vast de Braose holdings in south Wales would pass to the heir of Dafydd with Isabella.

Gruffydd was given an appanage in Meirionnydd and Ardudwy but his rule was said to be oppressive, and in 1221 Llywelyn stripped him of these territories.[56] In 1228, Llywelyn imprisoned him, and he was not released until 1234. On his release, he was given part of Llŷn to rule. His performance this time was apparently more satisfactory and by 1238 he had been given the remainder of Llŷn and a substantial part of Powys.[57]

Death and the transfer of power
Llywelyn's stone coffin is now in Llanrwst parish church. Joan died in 1237 and Llywelyn appears to have suffered a paralytic stroke the same year.[58] From this time on, his heir Dafydd took an increasing part in the rule of the principality. Dafydd deprived his half-brother Gruffydd of the lands given him by Llywelyn, and later seized him and his eldest son Owain and held them in Criccieth Castle. In 1240, the chronicler of Brut y Tywysogion records: "the lord Llywelyn ap Iorwerth son of Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Wales, a second Achilles, died having taken on the habit of religion at Aberconwy, and was buried honourably."[59]

Llywelyn died at the Cistercian abbey of Aberconwy, which he had founded, and was buried there. This abbey was later moved to Maenan, becoming the Maenan Abbey, near Llanrwst, and Llywelyn's stone coffin can now be seen in St Grwst's Church, Llanrwst. Among the poets who lamented his passing was Einion Wan:
True lord of the land – how strange that today
He rules not o'er Gwynedd;
Lord of nought but the piled up stones of his tomb,
Of the seven-foot grave in which he lies.[60]
Dafydd succeeded Llywelyn as prince of Gwynedd, but King Henry was not prepared to allow him to inherit his father's position in the remainder of Wales. Dafydd was forced to agree to a treaty greatly restricting his power and was also obliged to hand his half-brother Gruffydd over to the king, who now had the option of using him against Dafydd. Gruffydd was killed attempting to escape from the Tower of London in 1244. This left the field clear for Dafydd, but Dafydd himself died without issue in 1246 and was eventually succeeded by his nephew, Gruffydd's son, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.

Historical assessment
Llywelyn dominated Wales for more than 40 years, and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called "the Great", the other being his ancestor Rhodri the Great. The first person to give Llywelyn the title "the Great" seems to have been his near-contemporary, the English chronicler Matthew Paris.[61]

John Edward Lloyd gave the following assessment of Llywelyn: Among the chieftains who battled against the Anglo-Norman power his place will always be high, if not indeed the highest of all, for no man ever made better or more judicious use of the native force of the Welsh people for adequate national ends; his patriotic statemanship will always entitle him to wear the proud style of Llywelyn the Great.[62]

David Moore gives a different view: When Llywelyn died in 1240 his principatus of Wales rested on shaky foundations. Although he had dominated Wales, exacted unprecedented submissions and raised the status of the prince of Gwynedd to new heights, his three major ambitions – a permanent hegemony, its recognition by the king, and its inheritance in its entirety by his heir – remained unfulfilled. His supremacy, like that of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, had been merely personal in nature, and there was no institutional framework to maintain it either during his lifetime or after his death.[63]

Children
Llywelyn married Joan, natural daughter of King John of England, in 1205. Llywelyn and Joan had three identified children in the records but in all probability had more as Llywelyn's children were fully recognised during his marriage to Joan whilst his father-in-law, King John, was alive. The identity of the mother of some of Llywelyn's children before this union is uncertain, but the following are recorded in contemporary or near contemporary records.
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1212–1246), son by Joan, wife of Llywelyn.

Elen (Helen) ferch Llywelyn (c. 1206–1253), daughter by Joan. M. John Earl of Huntington m. 2nd Robert de Quincy 3rd Donald Malcolm Mar Earl of Mar.

Susanna ferch Llywelyn, died after November 1228, daughter by Joan. Henry III King of England granted the upbringing of "L. princeps Norwallie et Johanna uxor sua et…soror nostra Susannam filiam suam" to "Nicholao de Verdun et Clementie uxori sue" by order dated 24 Nov 1228[273]. Her birth date is estimated on the assumption that Susanna was under marriageable age, but older than an infant, at the time.

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1196–1244), a son by Tangwystl Goch (d. c. 1198).

Gwladus Ddu (c. 1206–1251), probable daughter by Joan.

Angharad ferch Llywelyn (c. 1212–1256), probable daughter of Joan; married Maelgwn Fychan.

Marared ferch Llywelyn (died after 1268), married John de Braose and secondly (about 1232) Walter III de Clifford. Marared had issue by both husbands.[64]

Elen the Younger ferch Llywelyn (before 1230-after 16 Feb 1295) who married firstly Máel Coluim II, Earl of Fife, son of Duncan Macduff of Fife & his wife Alice Corbet. She married secondly (after 1266) Domhnall I, Earl of Mar, son of William, Earl of Mar & his first wife Elizabeth Comyn of Buchan. Elen and Domhall's daughter, Isabella of Mar, married Robert, the Bruce, King of Scots. Isabella had one child by the King of Scots, Marjorie Bruce, who was the mother of the first Stewart monarch, Robert II of Scotland.

Tegwared y Baiswen ap Llywelyn (c. 1215), a son by a woman named as Crysten in some sources, a possible twin of Angharad[65]

Little is known of Llywelyn's mistress, Tangwystl Goch, except that she was the daughter of Llywarch "Goch" of Rhos.[66]

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1196–1244) was Llywelyn's eldest son and known to be the son of Tangwystl. He married Senena, daughter of Caradoc ap Thomas of Anglesey. Their sons included Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who for a period occupied a position in Wales comparable to that of his grandfather, and Dafydd ap Gruffydd who ruled Gwynedd briefly after his brother's death.

A number of Welsh poems addressed to Llywelyn by contemporary poets such as Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, Dafydd Benfras and Llywarch ap Llywelyn (better known under the nickname Prydydd y Moch) have survived. Very little of this poetry has been published in English translation.[67] Llywelyn has continued to figure in modern Welsh literature. The play Siwan (1956, English translation 1960) by Saunders Lewis deals with the finding of William de Braose in Joan's chamber and his execution by Llywelyn. Another well-known Welsh play about Llywelyn is Llywelyn Fawr by Thomas Parry. Llywelyn is the main character or one of the main characters in several English-language novels: Raymond Foxall (1959) Song for a Prince: The Story of Llywelyn the Great covers the period from King John's invasion in 1211 to the execution of William de Braose. Sharon Kay Penman (1985) Here be Dragons is centered on the marriage of Llywelyn and Joan. Dragon's Lair (2004) by the same author features the young Llywelyn before he gained power in Gwynedd. Llywelyn further appears in Penman's later novel Falls the Shadow. Edith Pargeter (1960–63) "The Heaven Tree Trilogy" features Llywelyn, Joan, William de Braose, and several of Llywelyn's sons as major characters. Gaius Demetrius (2006) Ascent of an Eagle tells the story of the early part of Llywelyn's reign. The story of the faithful hound Gelert, owned by Llywelyn and mistakenly killed by him, is also considered to be fiction. "Gelert's grave" is a popular tourist attraction in Beddgelert but is thought to have been created by an 18th-century innkeeper to boost the tourist trade. The tale itself is a variation on a common folktale motif.[68]

References
1. For details of Llywelyn's ancestry, see Bartrum pp.95–96
2. Lynch p. 156. According to one genealogy, Llywelyn had a brother named Adda, but there is no other record of him.
3. Maund p. 185
4. Giraldus Cambrensis p. 126. Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd was Iorwerth's full brother, but presumably he was dead by the time Giraldus wrote.
5. Giraldus Cambrensis p. 126
6. Remfry, 65–66; Maund p. 186
7. Monasticon Anglicanum pp.497–98
8. Giraldus Cambrensis p. 126. Giraldus says that Llywelyn was only twelve years of age at this time, which would mean that he was born about 1176. However most historians consider that he was born about 1173.
9. This Gruffudd ap Cynan should not be confused with Gruffudd ap Cynan the late 11th- and early 12th-century king of Gwynedd, Llywelyn's great-grandfather
10. Maund p. 187
11. Lloyd pp. 585–6
12. Davies p. 239
13. Moore p. 109
14. Davies p. 294
15. Lloyd pp. 613–4
16. Lloyd pp. 616–7. One letter from the Pope suggests that Llywelyn may have been married previously, to an unnamed sister of Earl Ranulph of Chester in about 1192, but there appears to be no confirmation of this.
17. Davies pp. 229, 241
18. Lloyd pp. 622–3
19. Lloyd p. 631
20. Lloyd p. 632, Maund p. 192
21. Brut y Tywysogion p.154
22. Maund p. 193
23. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 155–6
24. The Battles of Wales, p.62, Dilys
Gater, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch
25. Davies p. 295
26. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 158–9
27. Pryce p. 445
28. Brut y Tywysogion p. 162

Primary sources
Caley, John, et al., eds. 1830. Monasticon Anglicanum. Longman.
Hoare, R.C., ed. 1908. Giraldus Cambrensis: The Itinerary through Wales; Description of Wales.
Translated by R.C. Hoare. Everyman's Library. ISBN 0-460-00272-4
Jones, T., ed. 1941. Brut y Tywysogion: Peniarth MS. 20. University of Wales Press.
Pryce, H., ed. 2005. The Acts of Welsh rulers 1120–1283. University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1897-
5
Secondary sources
Bartrum, P.C. 1966. Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. University of Wales Press.
Carr, A. D. 1995. Medieval Wales. Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-54773-X
Davies, Rees 1987. Conquest, Coexistence and Change: Wales 1063–1415 Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-
821732-3
Lloyd, John. E. 1911. A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest. Longmans,
Green & Co..
Lynch, F. 1995. Gwynedd (A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales series). HMSO. ISBN 0-11-701574-1
29. Moore pp. 112–3
30. Brut y Tywysogion p. 165
31. Lloyd p. 646
32. Brut y Tywysogion p. 167
33. Quoted in John Davies (1994)
History of Wales p. 138
34. Lloyd pp. 649–51
35. Davies p. 242; Lloyd pp. 652–3
36. Lloyd pp. 645, 657–8
37. Davies p. 298
38. Lynch p. 135
39. John Davies (1994) History of
Wales p. 142
40. Lloyd p. 661–3
41. Lloyd p. 667–70
42. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 190–1
43. Pryce pp. 428–9
44. The version of the Welsh laws
preserved in Llyfr Iorwerth,
compiled in Gwynedd during
Llywelyn's reign, claims
precedence for the ruler of
Aberffraw, the ancient court, over
the rulers of the other Welsh
kingdoms. See Aled Rhys
William (1960) Llyfr Iorwerth: a
critical text of the Venedotian
code of mediaeval Welsh law.
45. Lloyd pp. 682–3
46. Lloyd pp. 673–5
47. Lloyd pp. 675–6
48. Powicke pp. 51–55
49. Lloyd p. 681
50. Lloyd, J.E. (2004). A History of
Wales; From the Norman
Invasion to the Edwardian
Conquest (https://archive.org/stre
am/historyofwalesfr01lloyuoft/hi
storyofwalesfr01lloyuoft_djvu.tx
t). Barnes & Noble Publishing,
Inc. p. 297 and 362, note 164, pg
369 note 64, page 347 note 82.
51. Lewis, Hurbert; The Ancient
Laws of Wales, 1889. Chapter
VIII: Royal Succession; Rules to
Marriage; Alienation pgs 192–
200. According to Hurbert
Lewis, though not explicitly
codified as such, the edling, or
Heir apparent, was by
convention, custom, and practice
the eldest son of the lord and
entitled to inheirit the position
and title as "head of the family"
from the father. Effectively
primogeniture with local
variations. However, all sons
were provided for out of the
lands of the father and in certain
circumstances so too were
daughters. Additionally, sons
could claim materinal patrimony
through their mother in certain
circumstances.
52. There was provision in Welsh
law for the selection of a single
edling or heir by the ruler. For a
discussion of this see Stephenson
pp. 138–141. See Williams pp.
393–413 for details of the
struggle for the succession.
53. Davies p. 249
54. Pryce pp. 414–5
55. Carr p. 60
56. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 182–3
57. Lloyd p. 692
58. Stephenson p. xxii
59. Brut y Tywysogion p. 198
60. Translated in Lloyd p. 693
61. Matthew Paris Chronica Majora
edited by H. R. Luard (1880)
Volume 5, London Rolls Series,
p. 718, quoted in Carr.
62. Lloyd p. 693
63. Moore p. 126
64. Douglas Richardson. Magna
Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol.
I, pg 387.
65. Bartrum, Peter. Welsh
Genealogies.
66. Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands,
Wales
67. In praise of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
by Llywarch ap Llywelyn has
been translated by Joseph P.
Clancy (1970) in The earliest
Welsh poetry.
68. See D. E. Jenkins (1899),
Beddgelert: Its Facts, Fairies
and Folklore, pp. 56–74, for a
detailed discussion of this legend.
Maund, K. 2006. The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2973-6
Moore, D. 2005. The Welsh wars of independence: c.410-c.1415. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-3321-0
Powicke, M. 1953. The Thirteenth Century 1216–1307 (The Oxford History of England). Clarendon
Press.
Remfry, P.M., Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Peverel, Maminot, Powys and
Fitz Warin (ISBN 1-899376-80-1)
Stephenson, D. 1984. The Governance of Gwynedd. University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0850-3
Williams, G. A. 1964. "The Succession to Gwynedd, 1238–1247" Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies
XX (1962–64) 393–413
Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before
1700, lines: 27-27, 29A-27, 29A-28, 132C-29, 176B-27, 177–7, 184A-9, 236–7, 246–30, 254–28, 254–
29, 260–31
Professor T. Jones-Pierce, "Aber Gwyn Gregin", Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions
(volume 23, 1962)
External links
The Aber Trust: Source material on Llywelyn
Impression from Llywelyn's Great Seal
A stone corbel from Llywelyn's castle at Deganwy, thought to be a likeness of Llywelyn Fawr, ab
Iorwerth
Llywelyn the Great
House of Aberffraw
Cadet branch of the House of Gwynedd
Born: 1173 Died: 11 April 1240
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Dafydd ap Owain
Prince of Gwynedd
1195–1240
Succeeded by
Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Preceded by
Gwenwynwyn
Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn
1216–1240
Succeeded by
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Llywelyn_the_Great&oldid=766611525"
Categories: 1170s births 1240 deaths Monarchs of Gwynedd House of Aberffraw
Burials at Aberconwy Abbey 12th-century Welsh monarchs 13th-century Welsh monarchs Welsh princes
This page was last edited on 21 February 2017, at 04:17.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Llewelyn married Plantagenet, Princess Joan on 23 Apr 1205 in England. Joan (daughter of Plantagenet, King John Lackland of England and de Ferrers, Agatha) was born on 29 Jul 1188 in Coucy, Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne, France; died on 2 Feb 1237 in Aberconwy Abbey, Conwy, Caernarvonshire, Wales; was buried after 2 Feb 1237 in Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LRQB-GXC

Notes:

Gwladus Ddu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gwladus Ddu, ("Gwladus the Dark Eyes"), full name Gwladus ferch Llywelyn (died 1251) was a Welsh noblewoman who was a daughter of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd and married two Marcher lords. Sources differ as to whether Gwladus was Llywelyn's legitimate daughter by his wife Joan or an illegitimate daughter by Tangwystl Goch. Some sources say that Joan gave her lands to Gwladus, which suggests, but does not prove, the former. Gwladus is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion as having died at Windsor in 1251.

Marriage
She married firstly, Reginald de Braose, Lord of Brecon and Abergavenny in about 1215, but they are not known to have had a daughter Matilda de Braose. After Reginald's death in 1228 she was probably the sister recorded as accompanying Dafydd ap Llywelyn to London in 1229.

She married secondly, Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore about 1230. Ralph died in 1246, and their son, Roger de Mortimer, inherited the lordship.

Issue
Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer, in 1247, married Maud de Braose, by whom he had seven children.
Hugh de Mortimer
John de Mortimer
Peter de Mortimer

References
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis; Lines 132-C-29, 176B-28

John Edward Lloyd (1911) A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest (Longmans, Green & Co.)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gwladus_Ddu&oldid=764335548"
Categories: 1251 deaths Women of medieval Wales Welsh royalty 13th-century Welsh people
This page was last edited on 8 February 2017, at 09:39.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Gwladys married de Braose, Baron Reginald in 1215. Reginald (son of de Braose, William III and de Valéry, Lady Maud) was born in 1178 in Bramber, Sussex, England; died on 16 Jun 1228 in Brecon, Breconshire, Wales; was buried after 16 Jun 1228 in Brecon Cathedral, Brecon, Breconshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gwladys married de Mortimer, Sir Ralph in 1230 in Herefordshire, England. Ralph (son of de Mortimer, Roger and de Ferrers, Lady Isabel Millicent) was born on 22 Feb 1190 in Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; died on 6 Aug 1246 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; was buried in Wigmore Abbey, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: 1st Baron Mortimer
• Appointments / Titles: Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; 6th Lord of Wigmore
• FSID: LD97-5H9

Notes:

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, was famous and honored knight who was a loyal ally of King Henry III of England. He was at times an enemy, at times an ally, of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales.

Born in 1231, Roger was the son of Ralph de Mortimer and his Welsh wife, Gwladys Ddu, daughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Joan Plantagenet, daughter of John, King of England.

In 1256 Roger went to war with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd when the latter invaded his lordship of Gwrtheyrnion or Rhayader. This war would continue intermittently until the deaths of both Roger and Llywelyn in 1282. They were both grandsons of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

Mortimer fought for the King against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and almost lost his life in 1264 at the Battle of Lewes fighting Montfort's men. In 1265 Mortimer's wife, Maud de Braose helped rescue Prince Edward; and Mortimer and the Prince made an alliance against de Montfort.

In August 1265, de Montfort's army was surrounded by the River Avon on three sides, and Prince Edward's army on the fourth. Mortimer had sent his men to block the only possible escape route, at the Bengeworth bridge. The Battle of Evesham began in earnest. A storm roared above the battle field. Montfort's Welsh soldiers broke and ran for the bridge, where they were slaughtered by Mortimer's men. Mortimer himself killed Hugh Despencer and Montfort, and crushed Montfort's army. Mortimer was awarded Montfort's severed head and other parts of his anatomy, which he sent home to Wigmore Castle as a gift for his wife, Lady Mortimer.

Mortimer took part in Edward I's 1282 campaign against Llewelyn the Last, and was put in charge of operations in mid-Wales. It was a major setback for Edward when Mortimer died in October 1282.
His wife was Maud de Braose, daughter of William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny by Eva Marshal. Roger Mortimer had married Maud in 1247. She was, like him, a scion of a Welsh Marches family.

Their eight known children were:

Ralph Mortimer, died 10 August 1274, Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer (1251–1304), married Margaret de Fiennes, the daughter of William II de Fiennes and Blanche de Brienne. Had issue, including Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March.

Isabella Mortimer, died 1292. She married (1) John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel; and (2) Robert de Hastang.

Margaret Mortimer, died 1297. She married Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford.

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Chirk, died 1326.

Geoffrey Mortimer, died 1273. He was a knight.

William Mortimer, (c.1259-before June 1297) was hostage for his father in 1264. He was knighted, and married Hawise, daughter and heir of Robert de Mucegros. Died childless.

Iseult de Mortimer died shortly before 4 August 1338. She married Hugh de Audley, Knight and Lord Audley. Their eldest son, Ralph, was a famed knight but died in his youth. The second son, Edmund, was recalled from Oxford University and appointed his father's heir.

Roger Mortimer died on 30th October 1282 and was buried at Wigmore Abbey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Mortimer%2C_1st_Baron_Mortimer_of_Wigmore

Roger married de Braose, Maud in 1247. Maud (daughter of de Braose, Earl William V and Marshal, Lady Eva) was born in 1224 in Bramber Castle, Bramber, Sussex, England; died on 23 Mar 1301 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; was buried after 23 Mar 1301 in St Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Elmley Castle, Worcestershire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: The Good
• FSID: 94RX-T2F
• Occupation: 1265; Treasurer of York
• Appointments / Titles: 1274, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; 2nd Baron of Wigmore
• Appointments / Titles: 1283; Sir Knight (by King Edward I)
• Military: 1304, Builth, Breconshire, Wales; King's Scottish Campaign, returned to fight in Wales.

Notes:

Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Lord Mortimer (1251 – July 17, 1304) was the second son and eventual heir of Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer. His mother was Maud de Braose.
As a younger son, Edmund had been intended for clerical or monastic life, and had been sent to study at Oxford University. He was made Treasurer of York in 1265. By 1268 he is recorded as studying Theology in the house of the Archbishop of York. King Henry III showed favour by supplementing his diet with the luxury of venison.

The sudden death of his elder brother, Ralph, in 1274, made him heir to the family estates; yet he continued to study at Oxford. But his father's death eventually forced his departure.
He returned to the March in 1282 as the new Lord Mortimer of Wigmore and immediately became involved in Welsh Marches politics. Together with his brother Roger Mortimer, Baron of Chirk, John Giffard, and Roger Lestrange, he devised a plan to trap Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
Edmund sent a message to Llewelyn telling him he was coming to Llywelyn's aid and arranged to meet with him at Builth. At Irfon Bridge the Welsh prince became separated from his army. Edmund's brothers secretly forded the river behind Llywelyn's army and surprised the Welsh. In the resulting battle Llywelyn was killed and beheaded. Edmund then sent his brother Roger Mortimer of Chirk to present Llywelyn's severed head to King Edward I of England at Rhuddlan Castle. The head was displayed on the Tower of London as a warning to all rebels.
In return for his services Edmund was knighted by King Edward at Winchester in 1283.

In September 1285, he married Margaret de Fiennes, the daughter of William II de Fiennes and Blanche de Brienne (herself the granddaughter of John of Brienne by his third wife Berenguela of Leon), the family entering the blood royal. Their surviving children were:
1. Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 – 29 November 1330) married Joan de Geneville, by whom he had twelve children.
2. Maud Mortimer, married Sir Theobald II de Verdun, by whom she had four daughters, Joan de Verdun, who married John de Montagu (d. August 1317), eldest son and heir apparent of William Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu; Elizabeth de Verdun, who married Bartholomew de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh; Margaret de Verdun, who married firstly Sir William le Blount of Sodington, Worcestershire, secondly Sir Mark Husee, and thirdly Sir John de Crophill; and (allegedly) Katherine de Verdun.
3. John Mortimer, accidentally slain in a joust by John de Leyburne.
4. Walter Mortimer, a priest, Rector of Kingston.
5. Edmund, a priest, Rector of Hodnet and Treasurer of the cathedral at York.
6. Hugh Mortimer, a priest, Rector of church at Old Radnor.
They also had two daughters who became nuns;
7. Elizabeth and
8. Joan.

Mortimer served in the king's Scottish campaign, and returned to fight in Wales in 1283. He was mortally wounded in a skirmish near Builth, and died at Wigmore Castle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Mortimer,_2nd_Baron_Mortimer

Edmund married de Fiennes, Margaret in Sep 1285 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England. Margaret (daughter of de Fiennes, Lord William and de Brienne, Blanche) was born in 1269 in Fiennes, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France; died on 7 Feb 1334 in Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; was buried after 7 Feb 1334 in Wigmore Abbey, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: 9ZCG-RB5

Notes:

Isabella Mortimer, Lady of Clun and Oswestry was a noblewoman and a member of an important and powerful Welsh Marcher family. Although often overshadowed in modern historiography by her better-known parents, she is now known to have played an important part in her family's struggles against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and to have helped to secure the frontline at Shropshire in the run-up to English conquest of Wales.

Isabella married Ardene, Ralph in 1273 in England. Ralph was born in 1226 in England; died in DECEASED in England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Isabella married Hastang, Sir Robert on 9 Sep 1285 in England. Robert was born in 1247 in Chebsey, Staffordshire, England; died on 8 Apr 1292 in Leamington House, Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Isabella married FitzAlan, Lord John on 21 May 1260 in Arundel, Sussex, England. John (son of FitzAlan, Lord John and de Botiller, Countess Maud) was born on 14 Sep 1246 in Arundel Castle, Arundel, Sussex, England; died on 25 Mar 1272 in Clun, Shropshire, England; was buried in Mar 1272 in Haughmond Abbey, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]